Warrants issued for witnesses for failing to testify in May 12 rioting cases

An anti-terrorism court has issued arrest warrants for witnesses over their failure to turn up to testify against former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and other Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders and workers in cases pertaining to May 12, 2007 rioting.

Around two dozen people, including Akhtar, Umair Siddiqui, Mohammad Nasir and Nasir Zia, face trial in as many as seven identical cases lodged at the Airport police station on charges of rioting, arson and terrorism 16 years ago.

As the matter came up for hearing before the ATC-VII judge, Akhtar and 21 others appeared in court on bail while one was called absent. No prosecution witness was in attendance in all the cases.

Adjourning the hearing until June 10, the judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the witnesses who have failed to appear in court despite being served summons in four cases. He issued summons to the remaining witnesses in the three cases with a direction to the IOs of the respective cases to ensure their presence in court on the next date for recording their statement.

The former mayor’s lawyer Mushtaq Ahmed submitted an application requesting the judge to condone Akhtar’s absence from hearing on April 15, 2023, which was accepted. At the previous hearing, the judge had directed the MQM-P leader to submit an explanation as to why his bail might not be recalled for travelling abroad without seeking the court’s permission.

The FIRs had been registered under sections 146 (rioting), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 109 (punishment for abatement) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, at the airport police station.