KARACHI: The Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) Chairman Afaq Ahmed was released from prison on Tuesday after a sessions court granted him bail in a third arson case registered against him.

The MQM-H chief was arrested on Feb 11 for allegedly instigating people to torch heavy vehicles operating in the metropolis in violation of a ban on their movement during the daytime.

He was booked in two cases registered at the Landhi and Awami Colony police stations and last week, an anti-terrorism court granted him bail in both the case, but the police shown him arrested in a third case lodged at the Surjani Town police station about setting a tanker ablaze.

On Tuesday, Additional District and Sessions Judge (West) Muhammad Aslam Shaikh granted Mr Ahmed post-arrest bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000 and directed the jail superintendent to release him, if he was not required in any other case.

A prison official confirmed to Dawn that Mr Ahmed had been released from jail.

A number of MQM-H workers welcomed Mr Ahmed outside the gate of Karachi central prison.

According to the prosecution, a tanker owner had registered an FIR on Feb 11 and stated that he received a phone call from his driver who informed him that when he was going from Khuda Ki Basti towards Manghopir, three unidentified men appeared in front of the tanker near Abdullah Mor and started pelting it with stones.

During that time, the three individuals forcibly pulled the driver out of the vehicle, poured petrol on it and set it on fire. Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2025