KARACHI: Former provincial minister and leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Rauf Siddiqui was on Thursday granted protective bail by the Sindh High Court in a case registered against him under antiterrorism laws for listening to Altaf Hussain’s speech criticising the military establishment.

A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar gave the MQM leader protective bail for 10 days in the sum of Rs50,000.

His counsel told the judges that Mr Siddiqui was named in an FIR registered at the Sukkhun police by the complainant who alleged that his client had attended a public gathering and listened to the MQM chief’s outburst against the security agencies.

He contended that no case was made out against the former provincial minister as no specific charges were levelled against him.

The counsel said that his client apprehended arrest in the case before he could appear before the trial court for his defence.

He said his client wanted to appear before the trial court to face the charges against him and asked the SHC to grant him protective bail.

The court granted Mr Siddiqui protective bail for 10 days directing him to appear before the trial court for further legal remedy.

The complainant in the case stated that the MQM chief criticised the government and the country’s security agencies, and his slanderous remarks hurt his feelings.

Mr Hussain had delivered a speech last Sunday accusing the paramilitary forces of torturing and killing his party workers.

Over 103 cases have so far been registered across the country against Mr Hussain under Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for his remarks against the military establishment and security agencies.

Imran Farooq murder suspect case

The same bench directed the Federal Investigation Agency to file its comments in a petition against the detention of Moazzam Ali Khan, a key suspect behind the murder of MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq.

Mr Khan’s wife, Sadia Bano, had challenged the detention of her husband by the Rangers through a constitutional petition.

The federal law officer told the judges that he could not file comments on behalf of the federal authorities since they were not made respondents in the case.

The counsel for the petitioner woman undertook to file the amended title naming the federal government and FIA as respondents and requested the court to allow some time for doing so.

The bench adjourned the hearing to July 30.

According to the petitioner, personnel of the paramilitary force raided her house in Federal B Area’s Block 8, Azizabad, in the early hours of April 12 and took away her husband and his belongings, including a laptop.

The Rangers have already informed an antiterrorism court that Moazzam Ali Khan, a prime suspect in the MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq murder case, has been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency.

The suspect was arrested by the Rangers, who placed him under 90-day preventive detention for interrogation under Section 11EEEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

He is believed to have been grilled by a two-member team of the Scotland Yard for allegedly helping two suspected killers of the MQM leader by arranging their visas, tickets and stay in Britain.

The two suspects — Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali — have also been shown arrested and are said to be in FIA custody.

Dr Farooq was on his way home from work when he was killed on Sept 16, 2010 near his London home. A post-mortem examination found that he died from multiple stab wounds and blunt trauma to the head.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2015

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