Interrogations continue: Remand extended for MQM workers arrested from Nine Zero
Police claim to have seized weapons on information provided by the arrested accused
Police claim to have seized weapons on information provided by the arrested accused. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) extended on Tuesday the remand of eight workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who were arrested during a pre-dawn raid at the party’s headquarters two weeks ago and subsequently remanded to police custody for 14 days.
The suspects were brought to the court in an X-10 route mini-bus amid tight security by Rangers and police personnel. They marched to the courtroom in a beeline, blindfolded and handcuffed. Their form appeared even more untidy as they wore the same clothes as on the previous hearing two weeks ago.
The ATC-II judge, who had the cases’ jurisdiction, was, however, on leave. The accused were therefore taken before a link judge, Anandram Sairani, of ATC-IV. Unlike the previous hearing, these proceedings were carried out in the judge’s chamber. The suspects, in twos and threes, were presented before the judge one after another.
Five of the suspects, Sajid Ali, Syed Habib Rahim, Muhammad Asif, Noman and Faizan, were simply given extension in their physical remand. Others such as Ubaid alias K2, Abdullah and Abdul Qadir, were, however, remanded in some new cases as the police claimed they had seized weapons and explosives on information given by the suspects.
The police also produced four other suspects, identified as Obaidullah, Shahid Banarsi, Amir Ali alias Sir Phatta and Tariq Mehmood, who were taken into custody, as claimed by the prosecution, on Sunday. The police contended that the suspects were nabbed on information provided by the arrested accused and a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, including Awan rocket launchers and bombs were seized from them.
The new cases against the suspects have been registered at Gulberg, Sir Syed, Taimooria, Super Market and Federal B Area police stations. The next hearing of all the said cases has been fixed for April 6.
Plea against detention
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court (SHC) repeated on Tuesday notices to the provincial home secretary, the provincial chief of the police and the Rangers DG to file their replies regarding the arrest of 110 workers of the MQM during the raid at its headquarters, Nine Zero.
A division bench, comprising justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, directed the law enforcers to submit such replies by April 7. Earlier, the judges noted that the respondent law enforcement agencies had failed to furnish their reports.
MQM’s coordination committee had through its member, Gulfaraz Khan, filed a petition, stating that 110 persons, including a senior leader Amir Khan, several party activists and nearby residents were taken into custody, by the Rangers for “unfounded” reasons. He said the police were informed about the arrests but they did not receive any notice about the detentions from the Rangers and neither took any action to recover the detainees.
Gulfaraz said they had filed a complaint with the police on the day of the raid, stating that the Rangers personnel had ransacked the party headquarters and offices situated in the Khursheed Begum Memorial Secretariat, seized licensed weapons provided by a private security firm and Rs3.5 million worth of welfare and aid fund.
The petitioner, who named the Sindh home secretary, Sindh Police IG, Rangers DG, Central Zone Police DIG and others as respondents, had pleaded to direct them to produce the detainees before the court, deal with them in accordance with the law and also disclose reasons for the operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2015.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) extended on Tuesday the remand of eight workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who were arrested during a pre-dawn raid at the party’s headquarters two weeks ago and subsequently remanded to police custody for 14 days.
The suspects were brought to the court in an X-10 route mini-bus amid tight security by Rangers and police personnel. They marched to the courtroom in a beeline, blindfolded and handcuffed. Their form appeared even more untidy as they wore the same clothes as on the previous hearing two weeks ago.
The ATC-II judge, who had the cases’ jurisdiction, was, however, on leave. The accused were therefore taken before a link judge, Anandram Sairani, of ATC-IV. Unlike the previous hearing, these proceedings were carried out in the judge’s chamber. The suspects, in twos and threes, were presented before the judge one after another.
Five of the suspects, Sajid Ali, Syed Habib Rahim, Muhammad Asif, Noman and Faizan, were simply given extension in their physical remand. Others such as Ubaid alias K2, Abdullah and Abdul Qadir, were, however, remanded in some new cases as the police claimed they had seized weapons and explosives on information given by the suspects.
The police also produced four other suspects, identified as Obaidullah, Shahid Banarsi, Amir Ali alias Sir Phatta and Tariq Mehmood, who were taken into custody, as claimed by the prosecution, on Sunday. The police contended that the suspects were nabbed on information provided by the arrested accused and a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, including Awan rocket launchers and bombs were seized from them.
The new cases against the suspects have been registered at Gulberg, Sir Syed, Taimooria, Super Market and Federal B Area police stations. The next hearing of all the said cases has been fixed for April 6.
Plea against detention
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court (SHC) repeated on Tuesday notices to the provincial home secretary, the provincial chief of the police and the Rangers DG to file their replies regarding the arrest of 110 workers of the MQM during the raid at its headquarters, Nine Zero.
A division bench, comprising justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, directed the law enforcers to submit such replies by April 7. Earlier, the judges noted that the respondent law enforcement agencies had failed to furnish their reports.
MQM’s coordination committee had through its member, Gulfaraz Khan, filed a petition, stating that 110 persons, including a senior leader Amir Khan, several party activists and nearby residents were taken into custody, by the Rangers for “unfounded” reasons. He said the police were informed about the arrests but they did not receive any notice about the detentions from the Rangers and neither took any action to recover the detainees.
Gulfaraz said they had filed a complaint with the police on the day of the raid, stating that the Rangers personnel had ransacked the party headquarters and offices situated in the Khursheed Begum Memorial Secretariat, seized licensed weapons provided by a private security firm and Rs3.5 million worth of welfare and aid fund.
The petitioner, who named the Sindh home secretary, Sindh Police IG, Rangers DG, Central Zone Police DIG and others as respondents, had pleaded to direct them to produce the detainees before the court, deal with them in accordance with the law and also disclose reasons for the operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2015.