Terrorists’ facilitation case: ATC issues notices on Kaimkhani’s bail plea

Qadir Patel seeks better facilities in jail

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued on Saturday notices to the prosecution and the complainants over a bail plea moved by Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) president Anis Kaimkhani.

Kaimkhani, through his counsel, had filed his bail application in ATC-II after the Sindh High Court rejected to entertain the plea over some technical grounds.

The PSP leader and three other politicians — Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Wasim Akhtar and Rauf Siddiqui and Pakistan Peoples Party's Qadir Patel —were sent to jail on July 19 after the same court dismissed their bail-before-arrest applications.

They along with others —MQM's London-based leader Saleem Shahzad, who is absconding, and Pasban's Usman Moazzam, who is in custody — have been accused by the Rangers for asking favours from Dr Asim, a former petroleum minister and chairperson of Ziauddin Hospitals, to provide shelter and medical assistance to terrorists injured in clashes, or otherwise, while screening them off from law enforcers.

On Saturday, Rangers counsel Sajid Mehboob Shaikh submitted his comments on whether or not the bail plea was maintainable before the trial court, which had rejected the plea recently. Shaikh said that the court could hear the application as the SHC had also referred the matter to it.

The defence counsel, Ilyas Khan, also argued the same. He insisted that his client was not involved in any kind of illegal activity. The charges against him were malafide, the lawyer asserted.

The ATC-II judge remarked that the court was examining the case on merit and if parties had any reservations they could to go the appellate forum. Concluding the hearing, the judge issued notices for July 27 to hear arguments on the bail.

Patel seeks better facilities

Meanwhile, PPP's Qadir Patel moved an application through his lawyer, Qadir Khan Mandokhel, to seek better facilities and medical assistance for him inside the prison.

Mandokhel submitted that his client was a law abiding citizen and an educated person. He should be given 'B-class' in jail and immediate medical assistance, the lawyer maintained.

The judge directed the jail authorities to provide medical facilities to Patel. It sought, however, a reply from the lawyer over the verification of Patel's educational certificates that will ensure the provision of better facilities in jail.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2016.