NBWs out for MQM chief, others yet again

Karachi

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday for the umpteenth time issued non-bailable warrants of arrest (NBWs) against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and other senior party workers and declared them proclaimed offenders in cases pertaining to delivering, and facilitating the deliverance of, a speech against the country’s armed forces.

Around 260 people of the MQM were accused in the case launched at different police stations including the Gadap, Malir, Sohrab Goth, Super Highway, Shah Latif Town and Civil Lines police stations.

Known MQM leaders to have been nominated in the case included Dr Farooq Sattar, Rehan Hashmi, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Kaiful Wara, Muhammad Arif Advocate, Rashid Godil, Kamran Ahmed, Kamran Usmani, Jamal Ahmed, Waseem Qureshi, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, Zameerul Haque, Aslam Mumtaz, Nasreen Jalil, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Rauf Siddiqui; Senator Tahir Mashhadi was also nominated but was later acquitted.

Of those nominated Waseem Akhtar and Qamar Mansoor had approached the court for interim pre-arrest bails in the case; the bails were extended till April 16 by the ATC court, headed by Farman Ali Kanasro.

The leaders were termed co-accused in the case for having arranged for the programme wherein the MQM chief had delivered the speech.

The NBWs had time and again been issued against the party chief as well as party leaders; however, Hussain had later apologised for his remarks.