ATC acquits MQM leaders in provocative speech cases

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) acquitted on Monday several Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders, including Dr Farooq Sattar, former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar, Khwaja Izharul Haq and others, in two cases pertaining to provocative speeches made by the party's founder. ATC-10 announced the verdict at Karachi Central Jail, accepting the pleas seeking acquittal filed by Akhtar, Haq, Rauf Siddiqi and Qamar Mansoor. The defence lawyer had maintained that over 23 cases had been registered for a single provocative speech at separate police stations, asking how so many cases could be filed over one incident. According to the police, the cases in which the accused were acquitted had been registered by the Sohrab Goth police in 2015. Life imprisonment Meanwhile, ATC-16 sentenced two convicts to life imprisonment for the targeted killing of special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa. The court sentenced two alleged MQM members, Kazim Abbas and Noman, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on each of them, additionally handing 10 years in jail to Abbas for the possession of illegal weapons. It also directed the relevant authorities to seize the convicts' properties. Prosecutor Rana Khalid had maintained that Randhawa was targeted so as to remove him from a case pertaining to the murder of journalist Wali Babar, adding that 22 witnesses had recorded their statements against Abbas and Noman. According to the police, the case against the convicts was registered at the North Nazimabad police station in 2013. Randhawa's son, Tauqeer, was also injured in the attack.