KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to 11 leaders and activists of the Sindh Action Committee in cases pertaining to resorting to violence, ransacking and torching private properties in Bahria Town Karachi during their protest against the housing scheme.

Police booked Riaz Ali Chandio, chairman of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz; Abdul Khaliq Junejo, leader of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz; Gul Hasan Kalmati, leader of the Sindh Indigenous Rights Alliance with Murad Bux Gabol, Jahanzeb Kalmati, Jan Sher Khan, Ali Hassan, Aurangzeb Jokhio, Mohammad Munawwar, Dad Karim and Mohammad Akram in cases pertaining to torching restaurants, shops, vehicles and looting money from ATMs during their protest on the Superhighway on June 6.

On Tuesday, they appeared before the administrative judge of the ATCs after obtaining protective bail from the Sindh High Court.

They moved a joint application asking the court to grant them pre-arrest bail in the present cases, arguing that the police had registered false and fabricated cases in collusion with the BTK owner (Malik Riaz).

The defence counsel argued that most of the sections of the Pakistan Penal Code mentioned in the FIRs were bailable.

Without touching the merits of the case, the judge granted interim pre-arrest bail to the applicants subject to furnishing a Rs25,000 surety bond each.

The matter was fixed on June 26 for confirmation of the interim bail or otherwise. However, they were directed to cooperate with the police in investigation.

Two cases were registered on behalf of the state accusing the nationalist leaders of delivering anti-state speeches and inciting the public to wage war against the state.

A third FIR was lodged by BTK’s security manager stating that some nationalist groups, including the Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh and Awami Tehreek, on May 21 announced a protest against the BTK.

He stated that the nationalist leaders, including Qadir Magsi, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Sanan Qureshi, Jan Mohammad Junejo, along with 8,000 to 10,000 people gathered outside the BTK’s main gate [on June 6], where they delivered speeches against the project and allegedly incited their workers to violence.

The complainant added that the protesters removed barricades, manhandled the security staff and put the main gate of the housing scheme on fire.

Later, he added, the leaders along with their activists entered the commercial area, ransacked two shops, three ATMs, looted money and torched five restaurants in Tauheed Plaza.

The FIR added that the protesters also set fire to vehicles by throwing some chemical on them.

JSM chief gets bail in 13 cases

The same court also granted ad-interim pre-arrest bail to JSM chief Abdul Khaliq Junejo in 13 separate criminal cases registered by individuals at different police stations. He was told to furnish a surety of Rs25,000 in each case.

The matter was fixed on June 26 for confirmation or otherwise of the interim bail.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2021