Sattar, Siddiqui among 10 MQM leaders declared Pos

KARACHI: Dr Farooq Sattar  and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui  were among 10 leaders of Muttahida  Qaumi Movement – Pakistan  who were on Thursday  declared proclaimed offenders  by the court of the judicialmagistrate,  South Zone, in a case  related to illegal use of loudspeakers  and creating unrest  near the Sindh CM House.  The court of the Judicial  Magistrate (South) noted that  the absconders had failed to  appear for hearings, while also  reprimanding the case investigation  officer for not apprehending  them despite issuance  of non-bailable warrants.  The IO was ordered to initiate  due legal proceedings  against the absconding accused.  In such cases, Section  87 of the Pakistan Penal Code  is applied which calls for confiscation  of the absconders’  properties.  Of all the leaders concerned,  Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan  and Mehfooz Yar Khan appeared  for yesterday’s hearing.  They presented applications  for extension of bail, while a  similar was moved on behalf of  Mayor Waseem Akhtar, who is  also a co-accused in the case.  The court granted all three  leaders interim bail till February  15.  This particular case against  the MQM-P leaders was registered  at the Civil Lines police  station.While they are accused  of trying to incite unrest  against the Sindh government  during a protest over water  scarcity, the leaders maintain  they had only gathered to highlight  the difficulties being faced  by citizens.