Incendiary speech cases: ATC to record statements of witnesses against MQM leaders

KARACHI : An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has ordered police to present remaining witnesses in cases against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership for allegedly facilitating the hate speech of their party founder on August 22, 2016.

As many as 27 cases were put up for hearing on Saturday in which MQM leaders Farooq Sattar, Rauf Siddiqui, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, Qamar Mansoor and Wasim Akhtar appeared in person while an attorney for Amir Khan appeared on his behalf.

During the hearing, the defence counsels cross-examined witnesses produced by the prosecution. Two police officers had testified during a previous hearing. After recording the proceedings, the ATC adjourned the hearing till May 22 and directed the investigation officer to present the remaining witnesses on the next date. According to the prosecution, chief of then united MQM, Altaf Hussain, who has been living in self-exile in London for almost three decades now, uttered controversial remarks about the country and allegedly incited his party workers to resort to violence during his speech on August 22, 2016.

One person was killed, several were injured, and a police vehicle and a motorcycle were set on fire allegedly by the charged protesters. Soon after these violent incidents, a crackdown was launched by the authorities against the MQM, which culminated in the party splitting in two factions of MQM-Pakistan and MQM-London, which is a pro-Altaf faction and faces a blanket ban on its activities.

The main case was registered at the Artillery Maidan police station under the sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 324, 302, 435, 436, 337, 123A, 124A, 109, 114, 427, 506B and 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with the sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Altaf has been declared a proclaimed offender in the case.