The Riots of 1953 — Page 95
95 A. So far as I am aware, the cases were as follows: In the case of Mirza Nasir Ahmad, he had, in compliance with one of the Martial Law Regulations, declared all his firearms and obtained a regular permit in respect thereof. Quite some time after, a search was carried out of his house and from his wife’s trunk was discovered a jewelled dagger, which was a family heirloom, her father having been one of the Khans of Malerkotla and a close relation of the Nawab of Malerkotla. He was the elder brother of the late Nawab Sir Zulfiqar Ali Khan. The dagger was a present by the father to the daughter on the occasion of her wedding. On account of his wife having in her trunk among her jewellery, this dagger, Mirza Nasir Ahmad M. A. , (Oxen), Principal of the Ta’leem-ul-Islam College was sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and Rs 10,000/- fine. In the other case of Mirza Sharif Ahmed, with a similar background, that is to say some time after he had declared his firearms and obtained a permit for them, search of his house was carried out. He was the Managing Director of the Precision Manufacturing Company. The Company had a regular licence for all that it manufactured. A room in the house was also the registered office of this Company. In the previous year, the Company had been asked to submit a sample of a bayonet to the military authorities. This they had done. The sample submitted was returned with a report that, in certain particulars, it did not comply with the specifications which had been laid down. This report, pointing out the defects in the sample submitted, was attached to the sample. In that condition this sample was discovered from one of the almirahs in the room which was the registered office of this Company. For the presence of this sample in that room,