Jailed mayor may be out of prison on Nov 21

Waseem Akhtar moves ATC for bail in last of 39 cases registered against him

Having secured bail in 38 of the 39 criminal cases lodged against him, imprisoned Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar on Thursday filed for bail in the last remaining case and the case would be heard on November 21.

The bail application, which pertains to the case of facilitating the delivery of a provocative speech by Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain, was submitted to an anti-terrorism court by Akhtar’s lawyer.  While the mayor has denied the charges, the ATC concerned fixed November 21 as the date to decide the bail matter. 

Arrested on July 19, Waseem Akhtar faces charges of sheltering and providing medical treatment to alleged militants and criminals, along with inciting riots. Akhtar has also been granted bail in several cases pertaining to the May 12, 2007 killings and also in the terror case in which he was nominated along with Dr Asim Hussian and other political leaders.

 

MQM activists

An ATC fixed November 29 for hearing cases against 26 MQM activists who had been arrested in the March 11, 2015 raid by Rangers on the party’s headquarters, Nine-Zero, and other adjoining areas. 

The detained activists, who include Faisal alias Mota and Ubaid alias K2, are accused of possessing illegal weapons and explosives. In the case of those absconding, the court issued non-bailable warrants for their arrests. 

Some of the accused, who are also being tried in other cases, could not be produced before the court and it also treated them as absconders and issued arrest warrants, as the investigation officers concerned had not intimated the court in this regard.

 

Shia cleric’s bail

A bail plea moved on behalf of Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain, a Shia cleric arrested on November 6in the wake of last week’s spree of sectarian attacks, will be heard by the ATC No 9. 

The decision was taken by the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts. 

The attorney for Allma Mirza has argued in the application that his client was innocent and a fake case of delivering a provocative speech was lodged against him in the Sharifabad police station, under the provisions of the Sindh Sound System Act.

Allama Hussain is alleged to have delivered a provocative speech in the capacity of head of the All Pakistan Shia Action Committee. His attorney prayed the court to grant his client bail as he had been implicated in a false case.

 

Rangers attack case

An ATC accepted the charge sheet against Salman alias Ummaya, a suspect accused of executing attacks on Rangers check-posts in the metropolis. 

Rehan alias Kana, Zeeshan alias Tissue and Suleman alias Umeed are absconding accused in the case.

The accused, according to investigators, had carried out an attack on a Rangers check-post on March 18. The suspects were termed as activists of a certain political party who tried to target the Rangers’ posts after receiving directives from the party high command to avenge the arrests of their accomplices during the Karachi operation. 

It may be mentioned that on April 19, a statement issued by a spokesman of the Rangers said the paramilitary force conducted raids in parts of Shah Faisal Colony No 4 and arrested three hardened terrorists. They were produced before an ATC which remanded them in 90 days preventive custody of the Sindh Rangers.

The suspects were identified as Ahsan Suleman alias SP, Obaidullah Siddiqui alias Habib Kala alias Pagal and Asadullah Siddiqui. “They were affiliated with the militant wing of MQM of Shah Faisal Colony Unit-108,” said the statement. ‘’During interrogation, the arrested suspects confessed their involvement in conducting attacks on the check-posts of the Rangers.”

The Rangers spokesman also said the check posts came under attack by these militants in Nazimabad on January 29. Another check-post in Korangi Crossing came under attack on March 18 and the third post was attacked in Korangi on March 23. A total of three Rangers personnel were wounded in all the three attacks.

Two witnesses – paramilitary soliders M Hameed and Shaman Khan – had identified the detained suspects before the Judicial Magistrate of District East as the people who lobbed grenades at the Rangers check-posts.

Hameed deposed that Salman was driving the motorcycle, while Siddiqui had hurled explosives towards the check-post in Korangi Crossing on March 18.

In this case registered with the Zaman Town police station, the charges had been submitted against Salman alias Ummaya who would be now tried for having attacked the Korgani Crossing check-post of Rangers.