KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday indicted Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Amir Khan and two others in a case pertaining to providing shelter to alleged terrorists.

The senior deputy convener of the MQM-P, former in-charge of security of the now sealed MQM headquarters Nine Zero Minhaj Qazi and Raees, alias Mama, with their absconding accomplices have been charged with allegedly providing shelter to wanted criminals at Nine Zero in Azizabad and using them for terrorist activities.

The ATC-XVII judge, who is conducting the trial at the judicial complex inside the Karachi Central Prison, read out charges against the accused. However, they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

Muttahida leader pleads not guilty, opts to contest the case

The court directed the prosecution to produce its witnesses for evidence on Aug 21.

Earlier, the court had indicted Amir Khan and Minhaj Qazi in the same case in November 2017. However, after Raees, alias Mama, one of the absconders, was arrested the court framed an amended charge on them.

Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, had detained the MQM leader with several others during a pre-dawn raid at and around the party headquarters on March 11, 2015.

According to the prosecution, the paramilitary force had arrested Amir Khan and 26 other armed suspects, including Faisal Mehmood, alias Mota, who was sentenced to death in absentia in the journalist Wali Babar murder case, during the raid.

It said that the MQM leader was in charge of the security of the party headquarters and he with five others had allegedly provided shelter to criminals and had been using them for terrorist activities in the city. A joint investigation team recommended the registration of a case against the MQM leader, it concluded.

A case was registered under sections 11-V (directing terrorist activities), 21-J (harbouring any person who committed an offence under this act) and 7 (punishment for act of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on a complaint of a Rangers’ official at the Azizabad police station.

Raees Mama, Shahzad Mullah, Imran Ijaz Niazi and Naeem, alias Mullah, had been declared proclaimed offenders in the case.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2018