Police custody of MQM leaders, activists extended till Tuesday

Two FIRs were registered against party members after Aug 22 incident


Our Correspondent August 26, 2016
The two FIRs were registered at the Artillery Madian police station under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. PHOTO: ONLINE

KARACHI: Three leaders and 36 workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were remanded to police custody in two cases pertaining to sedition, anti-state offences and  attack on media houses on Friday.

The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts granted their custody and also directed the police to provide medical treatment to two detained party leaders and four other suspects.

Police investigators had, on Friday, reproduced MQM leaders Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Qamar Mansoor and Shahid Pasha, along with 35 party activists including union committee chairperson Asif Siddiqui, to seek an extension in their physical remand. However, another detained worker, Aslam, was not produced since he was under treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. The investigating officer (IO) pleaded for extension in the custody of all suspects till September 8 for further questioning, the arrest of absconding suspects and forensic examination of the mobile phones and laptops recovered in raids.

The IO maintained that the investigation is in progress, as he has recorded statements of five prosecution witnesses so far. He informed that more evidence like the relevant CCTV footage, call data records, examination of further witnesses, weapons used and sensitive documentary evidence was yet to be collected. However, the defence lawyers opposed the police request arguing that the investigations have almost been completed and the remaining evidence can be collected even in the absence of the suspects.

They further argued that six suspects, including Naveed and Mansoor, are seriously ill and require urgent treatment.

Contending that the suspects were framed in the cases with malafide intention, the defence pleaded to the court to send their clients to prison on judicial remand instead of police custody.

On the other hand, the prosecutors and IO opposed the judicial remand arguing that it was a sensitive matter. After hearing both the sides, the administrative judge extended the physical remand of all the suspects till August 30 and directed the IO to reproduce them along with the progress report and police diaries.

The court also asked police to provide medical treatment to the ailing and injured suspects and to produce injured suspect Aslam when he is discharged from the hospital. According to the FIR, after listening to a highly-provocative speech of the party's London-based chief on August 22, MQM activists at the hunger strike camp outside the Karachi Press Club resorted to a violent protest; ransacking media houses, killing one Syed Azan Arif, wounding around seven others, torching a police van and a motorcycle, rioting and clashing with police.

The two FIRs were registered at the Artillery Madian police station under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Besides around 1,500 unidentified men and women, the police also nominated around a dozen party leaders in both cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2016.

 

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