Dumper Association chief Liaquat Mehsud denied bail in Karachi rioting, firing case

A District and Sessions Judge South has canceled the interim bail of Liaquat Mehsud, president of the Dumper Association, in a case of rioting after a young man was killed in Karachi’s Garden Area due to a dumper collision.

The judge heard Mehsud’s bail petition and rejected it, citing evidence of firing and acts aimed at spreading terror.

In its ruling, the court pointed out that provisions related to terrorism applied to the case, based on the investigating officer’s video showing a co-accused holding a weapon. While Mehsud had claimed the weapon used by his guard was licensed. Court records, however, revealed that the weapon's permit had expired in October. As a result, the weapon was deemed invalid on the day of the confrontation.

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The court further noted that the firing by the accused’s guard could have resulted into significant loss of life, and rejected the interim bail for Liaquat Ali Khan, the guard, and the revocation of any previously granted bail.

The complainant’s lawyer, Salman Mujahid Baloch, emphasised that the guards had fired indiscriminately during the incident, instilling fear and insecurity among the public. Baloch added that video evidence collected during the inquiry clearly showed the accused’s guard opening fire, supporting the application of anti-terrorism provisions in the case.

He argued that all evidence and documents submitted in court confirmed the validity of the charges against Mehsud, who he claimed, was not entitled to bail. Mehsud was absent from court when the decision was made, despite having attended earlier that morning.

The incident took place on November 3, when a speeding dumper truck struck Shahzaib, a ladies tailor, in the Garden Area, killing him and injuring his wife. In the aftermath, passersby apprehended the driver, identified as Niaz, and set the dumper truck on fire.

Mehsud, according to reports, arrived at the scene to try and rescue Niaz from the crowd. During the confrontation, his vehicle was pelted with stones, as a result his guards opened fire. The entire incident was captured on video by bystanders before Mehsud fled the scene.

Two separate FIRs were registered at Garden Police Station. The first, lodged by Shahzaib’s family, invoked Sections 320 and 337-G of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), and driving under the influence. The second FIR, filed by social activist Abdul Qadir, accused Mehsud and his guards of intentional harm, rioting, unlawful assembly, and possessing deadly weapons.