Sedition charges Altaf, other MQM leaders booked in treason, terror cases

Police register four cases a day after Altaf Hussain made a vitriolic telephone address to his supporters in Karachi

KARACHI: Police have registered four cases of treason and terrorism against MQM chief and over a dozen leaders of his party on Tuesday, a day after Altaf Hussain made a vitriolic telephone address to his supporters in Karachi.

Two cases were registered at Artillery Maidan police station in District South while one each was lodged with the SITE Super Highway and Steel Town police stations of District East.

Apart from Altaf, over a dozen MQM leaders, including Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Qamar Mansoor, Shahid Pasha and Kanwar Naveed Jamil, have been nominated in the FIRs as facilitators.

Two FIRs were registered at Artillery Maidan police station against nearly 15 MQM leaders, including Dr Farooq Sattar, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Amir Khan, Shahid Pasha, Qamar Mansoor, Gulfaraz Khattak, Abdul Qadir, Javed Kazim, Arif Khan and Akram Rajput, and about 150 workers of the party who were present at the hunger strike camp. These cases were registered on behalf of the state.

“Two cases have been registered against the MQM,” IGP Sindh Allah Dino Khowaja told journalists on Tuesday. “One case pertains to treason for his [Altaf Hussain] anti-state speech and the other pertains to the incidents following his speech which saw some media houses attacked by MQM activists.”

Additionally, two cases of treason and terrorism were registered against the MQM chief and over a dozen leaders of his party at SITE Super Highway and Steel Town police stations. These cases were registered on the complaint of citizens, namely Muhabbat Khan and Waheed.

Though Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain denied being nominated in any case, SITE Super Highway SHO Asmatullah Marwat insisted his name was in the FIR for facilitating Altaf.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Home Department has imposed a ban for two months on demonstrations, rallies and assembly of more than five persons in the Red Zone of the metropolis.

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