Police decide to form JIT to probe MQM leaders over August 22 fiery speech

Law enforcers will further probe Farooq Sattar and Amir Khan over August 22 events after the formation of JIT

Police have decided to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Amir Khan and Farooq Sattar in cases pertaining to a controversial speech by Altaf Hussain on August 22, Express News reported.

The police sent a request letter to the interior ministry for the matter on Saturday and said that after approval the law enforcers will form the JIT to further investigate the cases.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) was hearing the case when police said there is enough evidence to prove that Khan and Sattar seconded Altaf’s fiery speech after the crowd also attacked a private television office.

The cases pertain to violent incidents that occurred on August 22 last year during and after a telephonic speech by Altaf.



In the speech to party leaders and workers who were staging a hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club, Altaf had made controversial remarks about the state and had urged his workers to attack the media over what he claimed was less coverage to him.

Since then, the party split into two factions- MQM-Pakistan and MQM-London. The Pakistan group is headed by Sattar while the London’s is headed by Nadeem Nusrat.

Police further said that video of the event shows that the MQM leaders supported the party’s founder speech and encouraged the workers to attack the news channel.