KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza and his 18 associates in a fresh case till May 30.

Dr Mirza, who has been nominated in over a dozen cases in Karachi and Badin, along with his associates was booked for terrorising people, threatening policemen and obstructing them from performing their duty on May 16 when he came to the Darakhshan police station to record his statement in three other cases registered against him in Badin.

The disgruntled and disowned leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party was granted protective bail from the Sindh High Court in the case.

Also read: Weapons stolen from Nato containers seized from Mirza’s supporters: Thebo

On Monday, he along with his wife Dr Fahimda Mira and other suspects appeared before the trial court amid Rangers security and moved pre-arrest bail applications.

Applicants’ counsel Javed Mir argued that the former home minister and his aides were being framed in politically motivated cases. He contended that the case in question did not fall within the parameters of the anti-terror law since the alleged offence took place at a police station and the public was not terrorised.

Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III granted interim pre-arrest bail to Dr Mirza against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

His associates were also granted interim bail against a surety bond of Rs30,000 each.

The court issued a notice to the special public prosecutor for May 30 to record his arguments, called police papers and directed the applicants to join the investigation.

11 guards of Dr Mirza sent to prison

The same court refused a police request seeking physical remand of 11 guards of Dr Mirza and sent them to jail on judicial remand.

On May 23, the 11 suspects were arrested outside the Sindh High Court and the police claimed to have recovered weapons from them.

The police produced the suspects in court for remand. The suspect informed the judge about maltreatment by police.

The court remanded them in judicial custody, ordered their production before the medical superintendent/medico-legal officer for examination and treatment and sought a report.

The police lodged a case against the suspects for rioting, attempted murder and police encounter at the Preedy police station.

They were also separately booked in 11 connected cases for allegedly carrying illicit weapons.

Meanwhile, another ATC adjourned the hearing of three applications of Dr Mirza seeking transfer of as many cases to a regular court.

The former minister along with his dozens of aides and supporters was initially booked in three cases on May 3 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for allegedly storming a police station in Badin, abusing the police officials, forcibly shutting down the markets in the district, trying to kill two shopkeepers and robbing their shops.

The ATC-I adjourned the hearing till May 27 on the request of the defence.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2015

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