HYDERABAD, Oct 18: Chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Basheer Khan Qureshi, and Vice Chairman, Dr Niaz Kalani, have been remanded in judicial custody by STA and ATA Courts Hyderabad here on Thursday, amidst tight security arrangements.

Although they were remanded in judicial custody in Central Jail Hyderabad, they have been sent to Special Prison Nara because the newly appointed central jail Deputy Superintendent, Aijaz Sheikh, described the condition of his jail as “near collapse”.

The accused were produced before the courts by Market and Makki Shah police stations in an armoured personnel carrier, backed by no less than six police mobiles.

The team was led by ASP City, Sharjeel Karim Kharal. After being picked-up on Tuesday-Wednesday night, they were kept at Site police station for security reasons.

Former speaker of Sindh Assembly and member of legal aid committee of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Nawab Mirza, especially arrived from Karachi to provide legal assistance to Bashir Qureshi and Niaz Kalani under instructions from MQM Chief, Altaf Hussain. However Mr Mirza could not meet them in the ATA court as the police took them away from the court to jail. Another member of the legal aid committee, Aslam Pervaiz, however met Mr Qureshi in sessions court.

It may be pointed out here that Bashir Khan Qureshi and Dr Niaz Kalani have to face nine and eight cases respectively including three treason cases. These cases were registered at Makki Shah, Market, B-section Latifabad, Daru, Jhoke Sharif, Chachhar and Matiari police stations.

The sedition cases were lodged at police stations of Jhoke Sharif, Daru and Rukan.

Makki Shah police has shown them arrested from Haider Chowk while Market police have shown their arrest from Makki Shah police station.

On Thursday both the leaders were first produced before the In-charge of STA Court Judge, Ameer Ali Thari where SHOs of Makki Shah and Market police stations submitted the supplementary challan of Dr Niaz Kalani in two cases of bomb blasts, lodged at the two police stations in 1998.

Later they were taken to ATA Court where the Cantonment police station SHO, Javed Khanzada, submitted supplementary challan against Dr Niaz Kalani in a case registered at his police station.