The Sindh High Court on Thursday granted pre-arrest protective bail to former provincial minister and Muttahida Quami Movement leader Abdul Rauf Siddiqui in a case of illegal appointments. Siddiqui had moved the court against initiation of an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau pertaining to illegal appointments in the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC). As per the anti-graft body, the former managing director of the corporation was involved in approving illegal appointments during Siddiqui’s tenure as provincial minister for industries. The appointments were said to have been made in violation of rules and without the mandatory advertisement of vacancies in newspapers. Siddiqui’s counsel submitted that NAB had issued the ex-minister a call-up notice regarding a case of illegal appointments in SSIC in the year 2011. He contended that Siddiqui had nothing to do with those appointments as he was not the minster of the relevant department at the time. The lawyer submitted that Siddiqui was willing to cooperate with the investigators but required pre-arrest bail. The court, while granting the request for bail, issued notices to NAB and other respondents for submission of comments at the next hearing on November 21. Rehan Hashmi bail Rehan Hashmi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s chairman for District Central, was granted protective pre-arrest bail in 22 cases with charges pertaining to terrorism and sedition. Hashmi had approached the SHC for pre-arrest bail in cases registered against members of the MQM’s Rabita Committee at different police stations of Karachi after party founder Altaf Hussain’s controversial speech against state institutions. The city police had booked MQM leaders and office bearers for attending the gathering in which Hussain had delivered the speech via phone. With the speech containing content against the armed forces and other state institutions, cases were lodged against Altaf Hussain and other MQM leaders for conspiracy, offence against state and anti-terrorism charges. The complainants of the FIR had submitted that the MQM founder’s speech against ‘the armed forces and sovereignty of the country hurt their feelings’. Hashmi’s counsel submitted that the District Central chairman wanted to surrender before the trial court but fearing arrest, he had moved the high court beforehand for protective bail. The court, while granting Hashmi’s request for pre-arrest protective bail, directed him to surrender before the trial court within four days. MQM workers acquitted An anti-terrorism court acquitted two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan in cases pertaining to possession of illegal weapons. The two political workers, Syed Murad Ali alias Kashif and Muhammad Zulfiqar, were arrested on March 26, 2016, within the limits of the Korangi police. They were booked in cases of possessing illegal weapons and explosive materials. However, the ATC judge observed that the prosecution had failed to prove any charges against Murad and Zulfiqar and announced their acquittal.
