Six Chinese citizens, who had recently approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) with a petition against alleged police harassment, filed an application on Tuesday requesting the withdrawal of their case.
On January 24, the SHC had issued notices to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, its Karachi consulate, and federal and provincial law officers in response to a petition filed by four men — Xu Hui, Zhang Lichun, Zeng Fanxiong, Liuhaiguang — and two women, Deng Huan and Yang Zhita. They accused the Sindh police of repeatedly harassing them over the past six to seven months by unjustly restricting their movements.
The petitioners argued that, like many other Chinese citizens, they had come to Pakistan after completing all necessary legal formalities and had invested significant resources in various business ventures. However, they claimed they faced continued harassment from the police.
The controversy surrounding their allegations led to an investigation ordered by the Sindh Home Minister, who later questioned the petition’s validity, stating that the petitioners had not followed the proper protocol.
In light of the assurances received from senior government officials, the petitioners’ lawyer, Peer Rehman Mehsud, filed an application requesting the withdrawal of the petition. The application stated that the petitioners were satisfied with the assurances and steps taken by the authorities to address their concerns.
The application read, “Following the court’s order on January 24, 2025, we were approached by high-level authorities who assured us that our grievances would be resolved according to the law. As a result, we are satisfied and no longer wish to pursue the matter, although we reserve the right to take legal action if necessary in the future.”
The SHC had earlier issued notices to the respondents and instructed them to file their responses within four weeks. The court will decide whether to grant the petitioners’ request to withdraw the case.
The petitioners had claimed that their fundamental rights were violated due to unlawful detentions, restrictions on their movements, and demands for bribes by police officers. They also alleged that police had sealed seven industrial units of other Chinese nationals without prior notice, citing security concerns.
The petitioners further stated that their difficulties began at the airport, where they were forced to wait for hours and required bulletproof vehicles to leave for their homes — a service they had to pay for.
In defense, Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon explained that the increased security measures were in response to attacks on Chinese nationals by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He emphasized that the police were taking extra precautions to ensure the security of Chinese nationals, adding that some local sponsors or hosts were unwilling to cover the costs for necessary security measures like bulletproof vehicles or the construction of protective barriers and installation of CCTV cameras.
