Provocative speech: Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui declared proclaimed offender

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC), hearing provocative speech and media house attack cases against MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar and other leaders of the party, has declared Federal Minister for Information and Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Salman Mujahid proclaimed offenders.

Siddiqui is also the convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-Pakistan).

During Saturday’s proceedings, the court noted that despite his efforts, the investigation officer (IO) had failed to arrest the three absconders.

In its order, the ATC said it was not possible to frame charges as some of the accused were in hiding. It preferred to declare them to proclaimed offenders so that the charges could be framed against the remaining defendants who were either in detention or on bail.

Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Gulfraz Khattak and others appeared before the court, which announced it would frame charges against the accused on October 13. The MQM founder is also among the proclaimed offenders. Sattar, Qamar Mansoor, Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan, Amir Khan, Shahid Pasha and others are being tried in the provocative speech and media house attack cases.

The major incident of the provocative speech made by the MQM founder had taken place on August 22, 2016.