KARACHI: Police informed an antiterrorism court on Monday that three identical cases lodged against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership regarding the controversial Aug 22 speech of the MQM founder were being cancelled.

The two main cases were lodged at the Artillery Maidan police station after a highly provocative speech of the MQM founder on Aug 22, 2016 outside the Karachi Press Club that triggered violent protests, arson attacks and ransacking of media houses.

However, police had also registered three identical cases against the same set of suspects concerning the Aug 22 incidents at Quaidabad, Steel Town and Site Superhighway police stations.

When the cases came up for hearing before the ATC-II on Monday, SSP Malir Rao Anwar turned up and informed the court that since the two main cases had already been filed in court, three cases lodged in Malir district were being cancelled and sought time to submit C (cancel) class reports.

When the court sought the opinion of special public prosecutor Sajid Mahboob Shaikh, he supported the police officer’s version and said that these three cases could damage the two main cases.

The court adjourned the hearing till May 31 and directed the SSP to submit reports by the next hearing.

Meanwhile, the court expressed displeasure over the absence of SP Adeel Chandio, who was supervising the investigation of the two main cases.

The court also reissued warrants for the arrest of MQM-Pakistan chief Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain and other party leaders in the main cases till next hearing.

The court had already declared MQM founder Altaf Hussain as proclaimed offender in the main cases and also directed the interior ministry to approach Interpol for his red warrant.

The main cases were lodged under multiple charges including sedition and offences against the state.

Life imprisonment

A district court sentenced on Monday a man to life imprisonment in a murder case.

Alam Zeb was found guilty of killing Nadir Khan at a hotel in F.B. Industrial area in December 2015.

The district and sessions judge (Central) read out the conviction order after recording evidence of the witnesses and concluding arguments from both sides.

The court also directed the convict to pay a compensation of Rs200,000 to the legal heirs of the deceased and also imposed a fine of Rs100,000. In case of default, the convict would have to undergo an additional one year in prison.

Saleem Shahzad gets bail

A sessions court on Monday granted bail to former MQM leader Saleem Shahzad in another 25-year-old case.

The suspect through his lawyer moved a bail application and after hearing arguments from both sides, an additional district and sessions judge (East) allowed his bail against a surety bond of Rs200,000.

Shortly after he landed at Karachi airport from Dubai, the former MQM leader was arrested on Feb 6 in a case pertaining to providing shelter and treatment to alleged terrorists at Dr Asim Hussain’s hospital. Later the court granted him bail.

However, he was not set free as police had also shown him arrested in four other cases lodged in the early ’90s at Malir and Landhi police stations. Last month, the court had granted him bail in one case and his bail pleas in the remaining two cases are also pending.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2017