KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Saturday approved the bail of former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza in three cases.

Dr Mirza, a disgruntled and disowned leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), arrived at the ATC waving the Pakistani flag amidst tight security.

All entry and exit routes leading to the court were cordoned off and a heavy contingent of police was employed around the court in wake of today's hearing.

Mirza's counsel prayed to the court that all cases against his client had been registered on a political basis, therefore his pre-arrest bail should be approved.

Mirza had been charged with damaging a police station,forcibly closing down traders’ shops and looting Rs3 million and Rs3.7 million from two shops during protests in Badin.

After hearing the arguments, the court approved Dr Mirza's interim pre-arrest bail in sum of Rs100,000 in the three cases till May 19.

Mirza along with his associates was initially booked in three cases on charges of attempted murder, attacking a police station and forcible closure of shops in a market of Badin district under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He had already obtained protective bail in these cases till May 9.

Later, two more cases were registered against him on charges of attempted murder and obstructing public servants from performing their duties.

He moved the Sindh High Court seeking protective bail in the fresh cases.

Read: Dr Mirza granted bail for 10 days in two cases

A single bench, comprising Justice Farooq Ahmed Shah, gave Dr Mirza bail in sum of Rs100,000 in the two cases directing him to show up before the concerned trial court.

Meanwhile, another division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had restrained police from arresting Dr Mirza till May 9.

The order had come on a petition of the former home minister who requested the court to issue directives to police to supply the copy of the FIRs registered against him. The court disposed of the petition after the provincial law officer submitted the copies of FIRs in court and provided the same to the counsel for the petitioner.

JUI-F offers Mirza to join party

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) General Secretary Sindh chapter Rashid Mehmood Soomro said on Saturday that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza is a brave person and he so far has disclosed just 2 per cent corruption of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

Soomro said if Mirza want to wage a real jihad against tyrants and robbers then he should join the JUI-F. He was addressing a press conference in Kandhkot.

The JUI-F leader said they never had supported anyone who fuels tribal conflicts, ethnic and religious riots in Sindh. He said they highly appreciate military and rangers for taking measures against terrorism.

Soomro said peace and better education system could be restored by binding the landlords to settle their tribal issues amicably. He said an ethnic-based terrorist organisation is working in Karachi. “If such outfits don’t like Sindh province then they should better leave it.”

He said JUI-F would not allow anyone to make Karachi a new province.