ATC allows MQM's Amir Khan to leave country for Hajj

Court directs MQM leader to submit surety bonds of Rs1 million each

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court accepted Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Amir Khan's plea to go abroad to perform Hajj.

Accepting the plea, the court directed Khan to submit two surety bonds of Rs1 million each. Khan will leave the country on September 18 and return on October 3.

Read: Pilgrimage plea: ATC reserves verdict on Amir Khan’s request to go abroad

The court had reserved its verdict on August 15 after defence submitted documents supporting the MQM leader’s claim and contended that his name was not on the exit control list.

On the other hand, Rangers termed the documents insufficient to grant permission to the accused to leave the country.

Read: Amir Khan’s Hajj plea fans flames

Khan was taken into custody during the March 11 raid at MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, and was later booked in a case of instigating terrorism and harbouring criminals. He was released from prison in late June against a surety bond of Rs1 million – the highest security amount sought by an ATC at least this year – after serving three months in Rangers’ custody and one month in police’s.

Currently on bail, Khan had pleaded earlier this month the trial court grant him permission to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage.