ATC indicts MQM-P leaders in hate speech cases

MQM-P leaders pleaded not guilty before the court

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) indicted on Saturday Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan and others in two out of 27 cases pertaining to hate speech by the MQM founder.

Other party leaders who have been indicted include Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Muhammad Javed Hanif and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar.

Those indicted denied the charges in court, while Inspector Azad Khan, a witness for the prosecution, recorded his statement during the proceedings.

The court summoned the witnesses to the next hearing and adjourned till February 1.

Maqbool Baqar attack case

Meanwhile, ATC-6 provided copies of the case to the accused in a hearing pertaining to an attack on Supreme Court Justice Maqbool Baqar.

Three accused, namely Abu Bakr alias Masoom Billa, Muhammad Muawiya and Yasser Arafat alias Musa, who were all affiliated with a banned outfit, were presented in court and copies of the case were provided to them.

The court stated that the indictment would be issued at the next hearing, to be held on January 28.

According to the police, Justice Baqar, a Sindh High Court judge at the time, was returning home from the court on June 26, 2013, when a powerful explosive was detonated near Burns Road. Nine persons, including Rangers and police officials, were killed in the attack, while 21 others, including the judge, were injured.

The accused, Abu Bakr, had confessed to his involvement before a magistrate, revealing during interrogation that Hafiz Bashir Ahmed Laghari was involved in this attack as well as several other recent incidents of terrorism. Laghari was killed following a police raid but his accomplices were arrested.

Adjourned

Separately, an ATC adjourned on Saturday the hearing of a case pertaining to the provision of medical facilities to terrorists due to the absence of the petitioner.

The accused, who include Dr Asim and MQM-P leaders Anis Qaimkhani, Rauf Siddiqi, Usman Moazzam and Wasim Akhtar, appeared in court. However, the petitioner, Rangers DSR Inayatullah Durrani failed to appear.

As a result, the court adjourned the hearing until January 25. The counsels for the accused will continue their cross-examination of the petitioner's statement at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2020.