ATC indicts Zulfiqar Mirza, 54 others in four cases

NBWs out for Dr Farooq Sattar, 12 other

party leaders in misuse of loudspeaker case

Former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and some 54 other people were on Tuesday indicted in four cases pertaining to charges of possession of illegal arms, creating a law and order situation and causing a threat to the police and government employees.

All the accused pleaded not guilty on the anti-terrorism court judge’s inquiry over whether any of them committed the crimes he read out. The court then fixed July 11 to hear the prosecution’s witnesses in the case.

Mirza and other accused were granted interim bails in the cases. The dissident Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Mirza is also accused of misusing his authority during his tenure as home minister.

A total of 10 cases have so far been filed against him which included creating a law and order situation within the premises of the Sindh High Court, laying siege to the Darakhshan police station along with his accomplices, creating a ruckus outside an ATC by standing up on an armoured vehicle and making a speech against former president Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders of the PPP. 

Six other cases pertaining to attempted murder, attack on a police station, forced closure of shops and obstructing public servants from performing their duties have also been filed against him at the Badin and Hyderabad police stations.

NBWs for MQM leaders

The judicial magistrate (South) issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against 12 leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) including Dr Farooq Sattar, Khushbakht Shujjaat, Aslam Afridi and others. 

The court also took notice of the investigation officer’s absence. Expressing displeasure, it issued directives for the IO to appear at the next hearing.

The MQM leaders have been accused of using a loudspeaker illegally and creating a law and order situation within the ambit of the Civil Lines police station last year.

The case was registered following a protest, held outside the Chief Minister House, to protest acute water shortage in the city during the time. Two more leaders, now a part of MQM-London, Mehfooz Yar Khan and Sathi Ishaq, have also been nominated in the case; the two were present in court.

Moreover, City Mayor Waseem Akhtar and MPA Khwaja Izhar-ul Hassan have been exempted by the court from appearing for hearings.