MQM leaders’ attorneys cross-examine cop witness in August 22, 2016 violence case

Defence attorneys on Saturday cross-examined a police officer who was a witness to the violence following the incendiary and controversial speech of Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain on August 22, 2016.

One person was killed, several injured, and a police mobile and a motorcycle set on fire by miscreants allegedly on the instructions of Altaf after his anti-state speech.

The prosecution presented Inspector Aurangzeb Khattak in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for cross examination by the defence lawyers. The police official had recorded his statement on a previous hearing.

MQM-Pakistan (Nazriyati) leader Farooq Sattar, MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Amir Khan, and MQM-P deputy convener Kanwar Naveed Jamil were present at the hearing among other accused.

A defence lawyer asked the police official if he had seen any of these accused armed, causing damage to properties during the violence, to which he replied in the negative. He said he had arrived at the scene later.

Another lawyer questioned him about the people who had allegedly forced ARY News to shut down transmission, to which he responded that the channel did not broadcast from the office that was attacked.

After recording the proceedings of the cross examination, the ATC adjourned the hearing of the trial till October 23, directing the investigation officer to bring the remaining witnesses on the next date.

Soon after the violence following Altaf’s incendiary speech on August 22, 2016, the state had launched a crackdown against the MQM, which culminated in the party splitting into two factions of the MQM-P and MQM-London, which is a pro-Altaf faction and faces a blanket ban on its activities.

The MQM-P later also split in two factions, the one under Sattar and the other led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and his allies, including Khan.

According to the prosecution, then chief of the MQM 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.

As many as 27 cases were registered at different police stations 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.