KARACHI: Police on Saturday submitted a charge-sheet against Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain in an anti-terrorism court in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation.

The MQM chief was booked in March for allegedly threatening Rangers officials during a TV talk show following a pre-dawn raid at his party’s headquarters, Nine Zero, in Azizabad, on March 11.

The investigating officer, Inspector Mohammad Naeem, submitted a report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code in which he chargesheeted Mr Hussain under Section 512 (record of evidence in absence of accused) CrPC.

The investigating officer showed Mr Hussain as an absconder in the charge-sheet and placed nine men in the column of prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, Colonel Tahir Mehmood of Rangers, three other officials of the paramilitary force, three police officers, a television anchorperson and a member of his team.

It maintained that on the evening of March 11, the MQM chief, during the TV talk show, had allegedly hurled threats at the Rangers officials who took part in the raid at his party’s headquarters.

According to the charge-sheet, the words used by the MQM chief in Urdu, were: “Jin afsaran ne mere ghar par chapa mara, woh Rangers ke afsaran thay, woh thay, woh ab thay hogaye.”

The ATC-III judge admitted the charge-sheet and ordered issuance of non-bailable warrants (NBW). The court is likely to issue NBW against the MQM chief in a few days.

A case was registered against the MQM chief under Section 506-B (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, on the complaint of Colonel Tahir at Civil Lines police station.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play