MQM's former KTC chief Hammad Siddiqui declared absconder by ATC

E-Paper | October 16, 2026

MQM's former KTC chief Hammad Siddiqui declared absconder by ATC

Dawn.com Published September 15, 2015

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday declared the former chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Karachi Tanzeemi Committee (KTC), Hammad Siddiqui, as absconder pertaining to a case involving a gun attack on the rally of a nationalist party.

The hearing for the case was presided over by Justice Saleem Raza Baloch of ATC-III.

The Investigation Officer (IO) of the case informed the court that a previously arrested individual, Amir Ali alias Sarphata, confirmed that Hammad Siddiqui had ordered the attack on the rally. The IO added that multiple suspects were involved in the crime, as confirmed by Amir who is in custody.

Dawn newspaper report

The court directed the relevant authorities to arrest the suspects, and produce them into court. The next hearing of the case was adjourned until October 6.

Read: Spotlight on MQM 'Muscle body'

An anti-terrorism court had issued a warrant for the arrest of Hammad Siddiqui, and others in a case pertaining to the gun attack, according to a Dawn newspaper report published on August 12.

According to the prosecution, the Awami Tehreek took out a ‘Love Sindh Rally’ from Lyari to march towards the Karachi Press Club on May 22, 2012. When the procession was passing through Napier Road, it was attacked by gunmen, killing six people, including a woman, and wounding nine others.

A case was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997 at the Kharadar police station.

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M Jamal

Sep 15, 2015 05:20pm

As we have failed to implement equality, justice, ownership, truth, merit, localisation, decentralisation and good governance, the time has come for creation of two provinces in Sindh namely Sindh 1 Rural and Sindh 2 Urban.This is how new provinces are created in other countries as the those in power could not provide justice to some part of the area under their governance.

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Javed rahman

Sep 15, 2015 05:28pm

Bring all criminals to justice and let Karachi be again the city of lights

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shahid

Sep 15, 2015 05:38pm

Slowly and gradually all the crimes committed by MQM would come to light. The truth has its own ways and it always wins, eventually.

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Anil Bhutta

Sep 15, 2015 05:46pm

Get the barbaric regardless of their political or ethnic orientation. Murdering innocent people has no place in any community or religion. If guilty they must get punishment with the full force of the law.

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Mumtaz Baig

Sep 15, 2015 05:56pm

Get all these absconders and also from Punjab.

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kianipura.Washington

Sep 15, 2015 05:59pm

stability and development and prosperity follows Peace. well done PK Rangers!!!

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Pakistani

Sep 15, 2015 06:00pm

This is interesting. First you arrest them, torture them and kill them. Then if some people go into hiding fearing for their life, you declare them absconder.

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Sarmad

Sep 15, 2015 06:20pm

Apparently the government is unable to apprehend the Hammad Siddiqui and this is why the court has issued this order. In other words court order says to Hammad Siddiqui that the government could not find and apprehend you so please you come out wherever you are hiding or have escaped. This is utter incapability of the government that could not proactive to apprehend those wanted in different cases.

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zulfiqar

Sep 15, 2015 06:21pm

@Pakistani So how do you explain the testimony from the Amir Ali alias Sarphata and the arrest warrant? Read the article before commenting.

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aamir

Sep 15, 2015 06:28pm

@M Jamal Don't know that how much it is difficult to understand for people in power?

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Amjad

Sep 15, 2015 06:32pm

These 'criminals' are the products of injustice in Karachi. In order to eliminate such 'criminals' essentially injustice need to be removed within the society and due rights must be given to the people of Karachi. The real Chief of Karachi is the person elected by the representatives of local bodies in Karachi. Please give space to MQM so they work politically and hold local bodies elections so that real people from the city can serve the city.

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Shahab

Sep 15, 2015 06:34pm

@zulfiqar Testimony??? such testimonies can provided by an innocent person as well. Dot you know our police??

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Shahab

Sep 15, 2015 06:37pm

@M Jamal I support you. New Province is a Must. Karachi province will solve all problems we have for three decades.

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Akib

Sep 15, 2015 06:42pm

good

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TKHAN

Sep 15, 2015 06:43pm

@M Jamal - so you want a Rural and a Urban Sindh? Wouldn't be a better solution to have a common place where all can live in harmony? Rural Sindh (Under-Privileged Sindhis) is just as exploited as Karachiates (Urdu Speaking)? Solution has to be in the vast interest & Benefits of the population of Sindh; and not only for certain people who can rule happily hereafter.

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Ahmed

Sep 15, 2015 06:48pm

@M Jamal your comment is irrelevant. The topic is crime investigation.

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Arsalan

Sep 15, 2015 06:49pm

While we try to restore Karachi as city of lights... the cities around Karachi now have skyscrapers, best airports, man-made islands, and world class amenities. Not sure if Karachi can catch up.

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Waqar Ali

Sep 15, 2015 06:59pm

@Arsalan if they can do it, we can do it much faster and better.

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IMRAN ALI

Sep 15, 2015 07:41pm

It seem all the crime was done by MQM workers...J,I.PTI.ANP.Awami Therik and sindh nationalist are innocent. what about police firing indiscriminately ? Targeting one community create more hatred that leads to division of province

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Cyrus

Sep 15, 2015 07:45pm

Pakistan's judges are allowing them to escape justice. The defendants should all be held in pretrial confinement in prison. US judges do not allow bail to "flight risks", the people with money to escape the country. Their bail bonds are set in the millions of dollars.

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Gul

Sep 15, 2015 07:55pm

There won't be any peace in Pakistan till the Fed bureaucracy and Army are involved in politics. Division of Sindh is not a solution, rather have honest provincial bureaucrats and representatives who will can solve Sindh's problems, and not letting the people of Islamabad and Pindi meddle in the affairs of not only Sindh but other provinces as well. Right now the action in Sindh is sloppy and one sided, news channels keep portraying as if corruption is in SIndh only, yet they don't talk about mega corruption in Punjab. Where does Mian Mansha hails from? We have the scandal of KASB Bank in Punjab, the list can go on and on. Why the army doesn't take action there, or is army afraid of something public doesn't know?

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azmat

Sep 15, 2015 08:01pm

@M Jamal Give me an example in the world where division of provinces or states is based on urban and rural. You mean to give the revenue generating and affluent areas of Sindh to Urdu speaking and the leave the poor backward areas for the Sindhis. That does not look like a fair deal

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Sajjad

Sep 15, 2015 08:05pm

@M JAMAL - Localisation - The whole country is forced to speak/read/write in urdu for survival. All Karachi based corporations have 90% employees from 49% so called Urban people on the pretext that they are more competitive. Merit - nobody will come to you with job offers in Army and Civil Services, apply there and you will get selected. Quota system should actually help so called Urban people as Urban People call themselves more competitive. Decentralization - Right, is MQM mature enough so such kind of authorities. Good Governance - We witnessed that during Musharaf's Tenure when MQM had its home minister in sindh, Street Crime was on rise. I am not saying this, check the CPLC record and News papers from that time. Finaly, I wonder why people who migrated to Punjab dont have these problems.

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Naveed

Sep 15, 2015 08:17pm

Everyone is saying this but very few are whole heartedly working towards it, 1: Accountability for all Politician, Large local businesses, religious institution getting overseas donations, bureaucrat and Armed Forces which have already offered themselves. 2. Smaller Administrative Units 3. Making way for new blood to enter into current Political parties so democracy can take root. The State is not a Jageer of the current structure.

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Omar

Sep 15, 2015 08:48pm

@IMRAN ALI True bro. Only MQM commits the heinous crimes, rest are close to being angels if not angels.

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Syed

Sep 15, 2015 09:02pm

@M Jamal Couldn't agree more.

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Asif

Sep 15, 2015 09:05pm

I think if local bodies are held with honesty and in its true sense then problems of people will be solved at local levels and there will be no need to look at provincial government. Water, electricity, streets,bridges, transport problems fall within city government domains. I never see people in developed countries always look at state government for solving their local problems. People only know the mayor of their city and councilors of their areas who are responsible to solve problems. In Karachi the main problem is Sindh government would like to hold power and authority in its control and unwilling to hold local bodies elections. This behavior is increasing tension among local people who know the ministers from other places do not have any interest solving problems. This better power and authority are given to local representatives otherwise the problems will remain intact rather aggravate.

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Syed

Sep 15, 2015 09:20pm

@azmat I agree with Jamal, don't you know why "poor backward areas" exist in Sindh? FYI, "poor backward areas " are ruled by Sindhis. How long we have to pay the price to Sindhis for giving our elders a place to stay?, 65+ years are not good enough?

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Abdulla Hussain

Sep 15, 2015 09:29pm

Rise & fall of MQM, I wish someone writes a full article with unbiased facts calling black as black & white as white.

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Shamsi

Sep 15, 2015 09:30pm

@Asif this may not work in Pakistan specially Karachi which is surrounded by many vultures. It appears people of Karachi will not be settled without getting the required power to run their own city. A new separate province is imminent.

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Zafar

Sep 15, 2015 09:39pm

Where is he hiding? In Dubai?

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Bin Adam

Sep 15, 2015 09:49pm

On one side both the parties ruling Sindh and its major cities engaged in looting and bleeding Sindh and especially Karachi since very long time, been fiercely opposing the Operation against the top corrupts, criminals, extortionists, target killers, the marauders and terrorists of all sorts. On other hand side the long hostaged people breathing and living under the shadow of constant fear and terror been praising the Operation, the Rangers and especially the Armed forces Chief as their Mesiah and savior including great majority of Urdu speaking families, the Sindhis, the Balochs, Punjabis, the Pathans and Karachities belonging from Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Parsis and of all the religion and ethnic back grounds have first time after several decades been moving around the City as a free citizens. They been praying for the success of the operation till total clean up. They know that he was the last dictator having handed over Karachi into the hands of their marauders.

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M.Saeed

Sep 15, 2015 09:59pm

How convenient it is for them to name their rowdies with accolades like "Sarphata"!

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Ali

Sep 15, 2015 10:13pm

@azmat Plz also give us example where there is concept of Rural and Urban, and jobs are distributed to Rural people because they are more genuineness. if there are 100 jobs then give 80 jobs to Rural and 20 to Urban. Common.

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M Jamal

Sep 15, 2015 10:24pm

The mentality speaks.For last seven years there is no Local Government.Who suffered,the Karachites who pay maximum taxes.No security nor any improvement in infrastructure, utilities and transportation rather worsened.During last seven years the entire Sindh development budget has been syphoned out. Now big announcement of Rs 150 Billion development budget for Karachi.Is their any limit of fooling the nation.

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Muhammad Akhtar

Sep 15, 2015 10:37pm

Those who live by the sword, always die by the sword. This case should go to a military court set up under the 21st Amendment.

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imran

Sep 15, 2015 11:52pm

he will be disowned by MQM when he will be arrested.

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Mustafa

Sep 16, 2015 04:56am

@M Jamal I wish you had condemned the killings of the innocent people too.

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Sep 16, 2015 06:44am

@M Jamal Do you think Sindh Urban province will resolve issues of the Urban Sindh people...the bad governance is not due to this issue. Can you imagine, our leaders are alleged for ransom, extortion, murder, loot, illegal weapons, etc ...this is the issue! It is because the people who have governed us looted the country, whether it was PPP or MQM. I am 100% sure even if we have Sindh urban province, things will not change on the ground unless people are changed and/or they are made accountable. Please do not divert the attention from the corruption in our leaders to other petty matters. Win hearts and minds of the people by good governance in whatever capacity the leaders are in.

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Sep 16, 2015 06:46am

@Pakistani why you, me and others do not fear for the life?

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Sep 16, 2015 06:48am

@Amjad Who has ruled Karachi over more than 30 years? They are not from Karachi, They are not real people?

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True Speaking

Sep 16, 2015 08:00am

@zulfiqar Please understand the complete scenario before commenting.

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True Speaking

Sep 16, 2015 08:03am

@Ahmed its not irrelevant .. this is one of the causes why MQM is getting tremendous support from local people.

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MAK

Sep 16, 2015 10:47am

@M Jamal can't say about division based on Rural & Urban Sindh but you are right in the sense that we need more provinces as small units are easy to handle then big units & we know Karachi is 1 of the biggest cities in world, more provinces will help to strengthen the relation b/w gov. & people, the biggest barrier for more provinces is PPP who have been ruling rural areas for years by force & threats & more provinces will totally kicked PPP out from Sindh..

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Akil Akhtar

Sep 17, 2015 10:16am

@azmat The MQM supporters have shown their selfishness in their demands of dividing rural and urban...

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Syed Ali

Sep 17, 2015 09:24pm

@Shahab No, first of all it will never happen; secondly the value of Karachi will sharply decline once Gwadar port become operational; the reason Karachi of today is important because of good shipped to Punjab and KP and Balochistan. When this will happen Karachi's status as a jobs Mecca will be gone. It is time for all visionary people in Sindh to develop a strategy to address this issue; United we must stand in Sindh.

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Syed Ali

Sep 17, 2015 09:33pm

@Gul Ghe best comment of today; saved me lots of ink. By the way why no one is arrested for power plant fiasco, where are the good generals.

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