Faisal Raza Abidi released on bail in weapons possession case

The former PPP senator was sent to jail on judicial remand till November 19

Former senator Faisal Raza Abidi was released from jail on Thursday after a district and sessions court granted him bail in a case pertaining to the possession of an illicit weapon.

The Malir district and sessions judge, Khalid Hussain Shahani, granted Abidi bail against a surety of Rs500,000 after hearing arguments on his plea moved by his lawyer, Naeem Qureshi.

He was arrested in a raid at his house in New Rizvia Housing Society on November 5 and was subsequently booked in an FIR under Section 23(1)a of the Sindh Arms Act at the Sachal police station.



According to the prosecution, a number of weapons, ranging from sub-machine guns to Kalashnikovs, were found during the search of his house. He, however, could not provide the licence of one SMG, it added, and, therefore, a case for possessing an unlicensed weapon was lodged against him.

His lawyer argued that the said weapon was licenced and held with a permit in the name of one of his client’s guards for his security.

The prosecutor opposed the bail plea and submitted that investigations were underway to ascertain whether the weapon was licensed or not.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the judge allowed Abidi to be released on bail after the submission of the surety.



At the time he was taken into custody, police officials were quoted by news channels as saying that he would be interrogated for the murder of two seminary teachers in Lasbela. While it is unclear whether he was questioned on the matter, it has been confirmed that he was not implicated in the case.

Notice issued on bail ple

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court issued notices to the prosecution on a bail application moved by a top Shia cleric arrested a day after Abidi.

Allama Mirza Yusuf Hussain, the chief of the All Pakistan Shia Action Committee, was taken into custody from his house adjacent to Jamia Masjid Noor-i-Iman in Nazimabad, where he leads prayers.

According to the prosecution, Hussain was booked for allegedly inciting people to violence during the funeral prayers of slain rights activist Khurram Zaki in Sharifabad area in May this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2016.