Zulfiqar Mirza should file affidavit if he wants to appear in court: CJ

Awami Tehrik leader says MQM an 'al Qaeda style international terrorist outfit'. Suo motu hearing continues.

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday said Zulfiqr Mirza should submit an affidavit in court if he wants to appear before the five-member bench hearing the Karachi violence suo motu case.

During today’s proceedings, the apex court continued to criticise Sindh Police and pointed out inherent weaknesses in its investigation reports.

Awami Tehrik leader Rasool Bux Palejo also appeared before the bench today and gave his statement. He alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was an “al Qaeda style international terrorist outfit” and reminded the court of a Canadian Federal Court verdict against the party in 2007.

The court had upheld a decision of the immigration board that had said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the MQM had been involved in “acts of terrorism.”

Director General Rangers (DG) Sindh Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry also appeared before the court and said that miscreants in Karachi were carrying out their activities under the flags of political parties.

The MQM has also filed a request to be a party in the case.

The chief justice, on Tuesday, had said that some quarters were unhappy with the suo motu notice.

“If even a single person is killed, the government is responsible. Elected representatives are sitting in the assemblies. The Senate is working. Why, then, is there so much helplessness? It is all a political gimmick,” he had said.