MQM’s ex-leader Saleem Shahzad acquitted in 1997 ransacking, murder case

A former leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Saleem Shahzad, was acquitted in a ransacking case and murder case on Wednesday after the prosecution failed to present any proof against him.

While hearing the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) observed that no concrete proof had been presented and acquitted Shahzad from a ransacking and murder case lodged in 1997 in Landhi police station, while fixing March 6 to hear another ransacking case against him.

Shahzad has been acquitted in five other similar cases lodged in the Malir police station, Khokhrapar police station and Landhi police station; only one ransacking case now remains to be decided against him. Shahzad is also being tried in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) along with Dr Asim Hussain, Wasim Akhtar [the Karachi mayor], Rauf Siddiqui and Abdul Qadir Patel, Usman Moazzam, Anis Qaimkhani and others.

He and other politicians are alleged to have persuaded Dr Asim Hussain to admit some injured outlaws to two of his hospitals and provide them medical treatment.

Shahzad, a Pakistan-born British national, had gone to London in 1992 and obtained citizenship as an exiled leader of his then party, the MQM. However, he later quit.

He is wanted in a number of cases, the most high-profile of them being allegedly facilitating the medical treatment of terrorists and arranging shelter for them.

Naqeeb murder case

Meanwhile, the administrative judge of an anti-terrorism court extended the physical remand of DSP Qamar Ahmed in the extrajudicial murder of the Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud.

The investigation officer produced Ahmed in court after the expiration of his initial seven-day remand. He requested that the remand be extended since his confessional statement was still due.

He added that the police were yet to question Ahmed on the whereabouts of key accused former Malir SSP Rao Anwar. The court allowed the IO to keep the policeman in custody for another three days.

Anwar, who is still at large, Ahmed, Sub Inspector Yaseen, Assistant Sub Inspector Allah Yar, ASI Saparud Hussain, Head Constable Iqbal, Constables Khizar Hayyat, Arshad Ali and others are accused in the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah, an aspiring model, who was killed in a fake police encounter in January.