KARACHI: An antiterrorism court declared on Wednesday Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain a proclaimed offender (PO) in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation.

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

Police had charge-sheeted Mr Hussain in Section 512 (record of evidence in absence of accused) of the criminal procedure code and shown him as an absconder in their investigation report.

On a previous hearing, the court asked the investigation officer to initiate proceedings against him under Sections 87 (proclamation for persons absconding) and 88 (attachment of property of person absconding) of the CrPC after the police informed it that they were unable to execute the warrants twice issued by the court.

When the case came up for hearing before Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III on Wednesday, the IO submitted that the process of proclamation was completed and that Mr Hussain did not own any property.

While declaring him a PO, the court issued a life warrant against the MQM chief and said the case file be kept dormant till his arrest.

According to the charge-sheet, the paramilitary force had raided the MQM’s headquarters and arrested several criminals and suspects along with arms, ammunition and explosives.

It said 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 on his party’s headquarters.

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 of the Rangers at the Civil Lines police station.

NICL scam

An accountability court on Wednesday recorded the testimony of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman in a case pertaining to a multimillion land scam case.

The former federal minister for commence and senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party Makhdoom Amin Fahim, ex-secretary ministry of commerce Suleman Ghani, then chairman of the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) Ayaz Khan Niazi and some other senior officials of the company and privates persons have been charged over their alleged involvement in embezzlement of Rs900 million in the purchase of 10 acres in Korangi for NICL in violation of procurement rules in August 2009.

Wapda chairman Zafar Mehmood, who was a complainant in the case, deposed that he was commerce secretary in 2010 and on the directive of the apex court he sent a written complaint to the Federal Investigation Agency asking the FIA to probe all purchases of land at various places and on different times by the NICL including the present case.

The accountability court-III judge, Munawar Sultana, adjourned the hearing till Oct 24 for cross-examination of the complainant.

Published in Dawn October 1st, 2015

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