ATC issues NBWs for four men in May 12 violence case

An anti-terrorism court on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of four people belonging to different parties in a case pertaining to the May 12, 2007, violence in the city.

The ATC-II issued warrants against Abdul Bari Kakar, Habibullah, Mushtaq and Wakil Khan and ordered police to arrest them and present them in the court by September 14. The court was recently assigned the case by the ATCs administrative judge. The case is registered against the four nominated persons and more than 400 others belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Awami National Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

According to the prosecution, these political parties took out rallies on Sharea Faisal on the May 12, 2007, and their activists resorted to a clash with activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, creating unrest.

Some leaders and activists of the MQM already face trial in over a dozen cases of violence and murder pertaining to May 12, 2007. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, who was then adviser to chief minister on home affairs, has been indicted in four such cases.

At least 40 people were killed and several were injured as riots broke out in the city on the eve of the then deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s arrival to address a lawyers’ gathering.

The 12 May cases were registered at different police stations in the city under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempting to murder), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage to amount of fifty rupees) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred rupees or – in case of agriculture produce - ten rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.