Violating loudspeaker act: Wasim Akhtar, Haider Rizvi granted interim bail in 25 cases
The bail will be effective till January 22
MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) nominee for mayor of Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, received on Friday protective bail for two weeks in nearly two dozen cases relating to sedition, facilitating terrorists' treatment at a hospital and violation of the loudspeaker act.
A Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench, headed by Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti, granted him bail in the sum of Rs10,000 in 25 cases lodged against him in Karachi till January 22.
Another senior MQM leader, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, was also given bail in the loud speaker violation case for two weeks in the sum of Rs10,000.
On Wednesday, both the leaders had applied to the high court for bail in 25 FIRs lodged at different police stations of the city for sedition, terrorism, violating the loudspeaker act and facilitating terrorists' treatment at private health facilities owned by Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain.
The cases have been lodged at the North Nazimabad, Gadap, New Town, Memon Goth, Steel Town, Sohrab Goth, SITE Superhighway, Sukkan, Sachal, Bin Qasim, Malir Cantonment and Quaidabad police stations.
Earlier, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi had issued non-bailable warrants of arrest for Akhtar in a case relating to sheltering and treating injured terrorists at the Ziauddin Hospital, lodged by the Rangers at the North Nazimabad police station.
In their bail applications, both the leaders refuted the allegations of sedition, terrorism, violation of the loud speaker act and arranging and listening to the speech of their party chief, Altaf Hussain, against the Pakistan Army. They stated that the cases are politically motivated and lodged by complainants with malafide intentions.
Their lawyers, Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, Mehfooz Yar Khan, Mehmood Yousfi and Sarwat Israr, argued that the applicants tried to surrender before the trial courts, which had issued arrest warrants for them, but due to the presence of police they could not do so. Thus, they approached the high court for protective bail so that they can appear safely before the trial courts.
Without touching the merits of the cases, the SHC bench granted the protective pre-arrest bail to both the MQM leaders for fifteen days, subject to furnishing a surety in the sum of Rs10,000 each in each case.
The bail will end on January 22 when the applicants will appear before the trial court or otherwise.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2016.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) nominee for mayor of Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, received on Friday protective bail for two weeks in nearly two dozen cases relating to sedition, facilitating terrorists' treatment at a hospital and violation of the loudspeaker act.
A Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench, headed by Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti, granted him bail in the sum of Rs10,000 in 25 cases lodged against him in Karachi till January 22.
Another senior MQM leader, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, was also given bail in the loud speaker violation case for two weeks in the sum of Rs10,000.
On Wednesday, both the leaders had applied to the high court for bail in 25 FIRs lodged at different police stations of the city for sedition, terrorism, violating the loudspeaker act and facilitating terrorists' treatment at private health facilities owned by Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain.
The cases have been lodged at the North Nazimabad, Gadap, New Town, Memon Goth, Steel Town, Sohrab Goth, SITE Superhighway, Sukkan, Sachal, Bin Qasim, Malir Cantonment and Quaidabad police stations.
Earlier, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi had issued non-bailable warrants of arrest for Akhtar in a case relating to sheltering and treating injured terrorists at the Ziauddin Hospital, lodged by the Rangers at the North Nazimabad police station.
In their bail applications, both the leaders refuted the allegations of sedition, terrorism, violation of the loud speaker act and arranging and listening to the speech of their party chief, Altaf Hussain, against the Pakistan Army. They stated that the cases are politically motivated and lodged by complainants with malafide intentions.
Their lawyers, Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, Mehfooz Yar Khan, Mehmood Yousfi and Sarwat Israr, argued that the applicants tried to surrender before the trial courts, which had issued arrest warrants for them, but due to the presence of police they could not do so. Thus, they approached the high court for protective bail so that they can appear safely before the trial courts.
Without touching the merits of the cases, the SHC bench granted the protective pre-arrest bail to both the MQM leaders for fifteen days, subject to furnishing a surety in the sum of Rs10,000 each in each case.
The bail will end on January 22 when the applicants will appear before the trial court or otherwise.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2016.