Inflammatory remarks: Bail of MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui extended

Court directs authorities to explain why he is booked in the case

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee member Abdul Rauf Siddiqui's protective bail was extended in a case relating to the alleged inflammatory remarks of his party's chief against the military.

A Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, also directed the provincial prosecutor-general and advocate-general to file comments of the authorities concerned explaining why the MQM leader was booked in the case.

Siddiqui had obtained a 10-day protective bail before arrest in the sum of Rs50,000 in July soon after the Sukkun police booked him on charges of conspiring and collecting arms to wage a war against the state, condemning the creation of the state and inciting terror.

July saw dozens of FIRs being lodged across Pakistan against Altaf Hussain, who lives in self-exile in London, and some senior local leaders of his party, over his alleged inflammatory remarks.

Siddiqui's lawyer, Shaukat Hayat, told the judges that his client was booked in FIR No. 193/2015 registered under the Sections 120-A and B, 121, 122, 123-A and 109, read with the Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, together with Section 25 of the Telegraph Act at the Sukkun police station, Karachi.

The complainant, Muhammad Bux, a resident of Landhi, alleged that he was watching television on July 12 when he came to know that the MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, was addressing a function organised by the Rabita Committee via telephone during which he criticised the government, the lawyer explained.

He said the applicant had no role in the commission of the alleged offence but the police had booked him and other members in the FIR, which was illegal. He apprehended that the petitioner could be arrested at any time.

The court was pleaded to grant protective bail to the applicant to enable him to surrender to the police or the trial court, to join the investigation.

On Monday, the bench issued notices to the provincial AG and PG to file comments of the authorities by the next date of the hearing. Till then, the protective bail before arrest granted to the applicant was extended.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2015.