KARACHI: Rangers officials on Tuesday filed a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain for threatening the paramilitary force, DIG South Abdul Khaliq Sheikh said.

The case has been registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Civil Lines police station in the metropolis on the request of the paramilitary force, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.

Rangers spokesperson Col Tahir Mehmood has filed the case against the political party.

The Rangers official maintained that following the raid on MQM Headquarters, Altaf – in an interview on Geo News – threatened members of the paramilitary force who were involved in the operation.

"Woh the [past tense] ho jain ge," Hussain had told show host Shahzeb Khanzada on GeoNews, in an apparent veiled threat to the paramilitary force personnel involved in the raid.

A large number of criminal cases registered against Altaf Hussain were wiped out in 2009, following the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issued by former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in 2007. After the NRO, this is the first criminal case registered against Altaf Hussain in the country.

Last week, Rangers officials conducted an unprecedented raid on the MQM's headquarters located in Karachi's Azizabad neighbourhood. A number of party workers, including MQM's Rabita Committee member Amir Khan, were detained during the raid.

Two convicted criminals were also recovered during the raid, Rangers asserted.

Also read | MQM reiterates stance on Rangers raid

TV footage showed Rangers personnel in masks conducting a search operation at the headquarters, where arms and ammunition were also recovered.

Altaf Hussain had condemned the Rangers’ raid on the party’s headquarters and claimed that personnel of the paramilitary force brought the weapons and ammunition ‘wrapped in blankets’ with them and then claimed the recovery to frame the party.

Addressing workers gathered at the party’s headquarters after the Rangers raid on Wednesday, the MQM chief said the ‘establishment’ had never accepted him and for that he could step down from active politics to look after the party’s welfare wing.

The raid was ‘staged’ by Rangers, he had added.

Also read | Zardari stopped Rangers-like raid on ‘Nine Zero’: Mirza

ATA Section 6, sub-section (2), clause (m)

"In this Act, terrorism means the use or threat of action where an action involves serious coercion or intimidation of a public servant in order to force him to discharge or to refrain from discharging his lawful duties."

ATA Section 7

Punishment for acts of terrorism.- whoever commits an act of terrorism under section 6, whereby

(a) death of any person is caused, shall be punishable, on conviction, with death or with imprisonment for life, and with fine; or

(b) he does anything like to cause death or endangers life, but death or hurt is not caused, shall be punishable, on conviction, with imprisonment for description for a term which shall be not less than five years but may extend to fourteen years and with fine:

(c) grievous bodily harm or injury is caused to any person, shall be punishable, on conviction, with imprisonment of either but may extend to imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to a fine; or

(d) grievous damage to property is caused, shall be punishable on conviction, with imprisonment, of either description for a term not less than ten years and not exceeding fourteen years, and shall also be liable to a fine: or

(e) the offence of kidnapping for ransom or hostage-taking has been committed, shall be punishable, on conviction, with death or imprisonment for life and shall be liable to forfeiture of property; or

(f) the offence of hijacking, has been committed, shall be punishable, on conviction, with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to forfeiture of property and fine;

(g) the act of terrorism committed falls under Section 6(2) (f) and (g), shall be punishable, on conviction, with imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than three years and with fine; or

(h) the act of terrorism committed falls under clauses (h) to (n) of sub-section (2) of Section 6, shall be punishable, on conviction, to imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than ten years and with fine; and

(i) any other act of terrorism not falling under Clauses (a) to (h) above or under any other provision of this Act, shall be punishable, and not less than six months and not more than five years or with fine or with both]

Section 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code

Punishment for criminal intimidation: Whoever commences the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both. If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc.:

And if the threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or to impute unchastity to a woman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.

MQM's response

In a combined statement from MQM's Rabita committee in London and Karachi, the party said its legal experts are reviewing details of the case registered against Altaf Hussain, and will soon formalise a legal strategy in this regard.

The statement also said that viewing the allegations in retrospect, the case filed against Hussain appears to be factually incorrect.

MQM's Rabita Committee went on to say that their chief had faced several similar cases in the past, adding that all legal means available will be employed to defend Hussain.

The party has urged its supporters and workers to remain calm and united.