A file photo of MQM leader Waseem Akhtar. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) extended on Wednesday protective bail granted to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) mayor nominee for Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, in sedition and terrorism cases for 10 days.
Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, the division bench directed the applicant to surrender before the trial court, which has already issued warrants for his arrest, as police declared him absconder.
The high court had granted pre-arrest bail to Akhtar on January 5 against a surety of Rs50,000 each in two cases registered against him at Sohrab Goth and Site Super Highway police stations.
The police had booked him under sections 123-A and 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with section 25 of the Telegraph Act and sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In the FIRs, complainants Umar Khan and Muhabbat Khan had alleged that during a current affairs programme on TV, Akhtar had supported MQM chief Altaf Hussain's statement against several federal institutions, the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence, Operation Zarb-e-Azb and the Karachi operation.
The court was informed that the MQM lawmakers had resigned from the national and provincial assemblies due to political differences. Akhtar had claimed that the accusations of sedition and terrorism levelled in the FIRs against him were aimed at pressuring the MQM leaders to re-join the assemblies.
The court was pleaded to quash the FIRs. It was also requested to restrain the SHOs from harassing the petitioner, and to further restrain police from registering any case against him.
On Wednesday, the MQM leader appeared before the court for the confirmation of the bail, but the court had granted him 10 days extension. Extending the bail, the bench directed him to surrender before the trial court within 10 days when the bail would cease to exist.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2016.
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