KARACHI, Dec 13: Kunwar Khalid Younus, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and a member of the National Assembly, finally won the legal battle on Friday when a court acquitted him in the last of the 93 criminal cases.

He was detained thrice and remained in jail for well over five years. He was booked and prosecuted for several offences, including 25 murders, in the four out of five judicial districts of the city.

Dr Farooq Sattar, former mayor of Karachi, who was co-accused with Mr Younus in a murder case, was also acquitted.

Judge Syed Kauser Ali Shah Bukhari acquitted three Muttahida leaders of the charge of killing Maqsood Ahmed in the police limits of Landhi. The victim, a meat seller, was on his way when he was hit by a bullet on March 27, 1994 during a party-sponsored strike.

The second and the last case against Mr Younus pertained to violent activities in the police limits of Zaman Town. Mohammed Husain, a former member of the Sindh Assembly, who was co-accused in this case, was also acquitted.

The judge acquitted the accused in the two cases as the prosecution could not bring on record any incriminating evidence against them.

Party chief Altaf Husain, Haroon Siddiqui, S. M. Mohiuddin, Prof. A. K. Shams and Dr Sagheer Ansari were declared absconders in the case.