ATC reserves judgment in Tahir Mashhadi case

Karachi

An anti-terrorism court on Saturday reserved its ruling on the question of acquittal of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Senator Col (retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi who allegedly participated in a gathering at party headquarters Nine Zero to hear an alleged controversial speech of Altaf Hussain.

Mashhadi was recently acquitted in a similar case.

Earlier, he obtained pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court (SHC) on August 5, 2015, and then got the bail confirmed by the trial court (ATC-I, headed by Bashir Ahmed Khoso).

Later on in December, the same court after examining the facts of the case had announced his acquittal from charges of terrorism.

In the suspected terrorism case, the case was pleaded by former law minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader Farooq H Naek.

The court had granted Mashhadi bail against a sum of Rs100,000 for 10 days and later kept up extending the bail period.

The court had also kept extending the bail period in another case before finally reserving its ruling on the plea of Mashhadi to acquit him from the charges of terrorism, since no proof had been presented against him by the prosecution.

Mashhadi was booked for allegedly listening to a speech of Altaf Hussain in which
the latter allegedly made remarks against the military establishment and other national security agencies. Mashhadi is said to have clapped at the gathering showing his support to Altaf Hussain.

More than 100 cases have been registered against Altaf Hussain under the clauses of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 for making alleged remarks against the military establishment and other national security agencies in his speeches.

 

Mirza’s cases adjourned

The same court also adjourned the hearing of cases against former Sindh
home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza after it had granted him bail.

Mirza has been granted bail against a sum of Rs100,000 (each) in several cases pending with the anti-terrorism court concerned.

The cases pertaining to charges of attempted murder, ransacking, threatening and disturbing government officials for fulfilment of their legal obligation and creation of law and order situation are being heard by different anti-terrorism courts.