Imprisoned mayor: It’s his right to get bail, asserts Naila Wasim

Mayor, despite having been elected, remains within the confines of jail

KARACHI: It is Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar's right to obtain bail in the cases that he has been nominated in, asserted the 'first lady' of the city, Naila Wasim, as she took to the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday to plead the case of her husband, who remains incarcerated.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Akhtar was arrested on July 19 along with party comrade Rauf Siddiqui in a case of allegedly facilitating treatment of terrorists and other criminals.

He was arrested after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) rejected his interim bail application in the Dr Asim Hussain terrorists' facilitation case. Days after his incarceration, he was arrested in several other cases dating back to 2007 when he was the home adviser to the Sindh chief minister, including the May 12 carnage case.

The wife of the city's elected mayor said that there was no truth in the allegations made regarding the people whose treatment was allegedly facilitated by Wasim.

Naila was of the view that justice is not being granted to the mayor as 'delay tactics' are being employed regarding his bail applications. She said that the cases of Wasim are being prolonged while no action is being taken against various other important figures of Sindh implicated along with her husband.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2016.