MQM MPA remanded into police custody

Police claim he was found with unlicensed weapons in his possession

KARACHI: The anti-terrorism courts' administrative judge remanded on Saturday a provincial lawmaker belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) into police custody for two days in cases pertaining to possessing illicit weapons and explosives.

MQM MPA Kamran Farooqui was arrested, as per the prosecution, during snap checking by the police in Garden's Shoe Market area in the wee hours of Friday. His party, however, maintained that he was picked up during a raid at his house in North Nazimabad on Thursday.

The police presented Farooqui before the Sindh High Court judge, who also serves as the administrative judge of all the anti-terrorism courts in the city, for the seeking of his remand in the two cases lodged against him.

According to the police, the suspect was found with an unlicensed 9mm pistol with 10 rounds and hand grenade, as well as a stolen motorcycle in his possession. The cases against him have been lodged under Section 23(1)a of the Sindh Arms Act and sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

As the Rangers' legal team was tasked with prosecuting the case, its lawyer submitted before the judge that the suspect was a 'hardened' criminal and had confessed to be involved in targeted killings and violence across the city.

The judge sent the lawmaker into police custody on physical remand till December 19 and sought a progress report from the investigation officer at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2016.