Sindh

Police seek red warrants for Altaf Hussain, two MQM leaders

Nadeem Nusrat and Suhail Zaidi are also being tried in the 1997 murder of Shahid Hamid, his driver and guard

Our Correspondent April 01, 2017

headed by pml f 039 s provincial parliamentary leader nand kumar a delegation called on the mqm pakistan team led by his counterpart and leader of opposition in the sindh assembly khawaja izharul hassan at the latter 039 s makeshift political headquarters in pib colony on tuesday photo express

Headed by PML-F's provincial parliamentary leader Nand Kumar, a delegation called on the MQM- Pakistan team, led by his counterpart and leader of opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, at the latter's makeshift political headquarters in PIB Colony on Tuesday. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: Police moved on Friday an anti-terrorism court, seeking its directives to approach the interior ministry for issuance of red warrants for Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain, his second-in-command and another leader of the party in the 1997 triple murder case of the then Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) chief, his driver and guard.

The red warrants will help in the arrest of Altaf, his London group convener Nadeem Nusrat and another leader Suhail Zaidi through Interpol. All three of them have been living in London in self-imposed exile for decades.

A police officer Inspector Sarwar Commando moved an application before the ATC judge who is presiding over the trial contending that since the three absconders had fled the country, the international law enforcement agency should be requested to make efforts for their arrest.

ATC issues arrest warrants for senior MQM leaders

The three leaders of the MQM have been accused of conspiring and planning the murder of the then KESC managing director Shahid Hamid, his driver Ashraf Brohi and guard Khan Akbar allegedly for political gains. The trio was killed in a drive-by shooting in Defence Housing Authority on July 5, 1997, allegedly by assailants belonging to the MQM.

According to the investigations and witnesses, at least four gunmen in a Suzuki Margalla sedan attacked Hamid's vehicle as soon as he left his home for his office that fateful morning. The assailants were later identified as Saulat Ali Khan alias Saulat Mirza, Minhaj alias Qazi, Rashid Akhtar and Athar Hussain.

Among the suspected assailants, Saulat was hanged at Balochistan's Machh Jail on May 12, 2015, after he was convicted of the murder in 1999 while Minhaj is facing trial as he was arrested in May 2016. The two others are still on the run in the prosecution documents.

The ATC has not passed any orders on the police plea. It is likely to pronounce its decision on the next hearing of the case.