KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Saturday granted bail to four Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers in a case pertaining to ‘forcible’ Fitra collection.

Police produced Hamid Ali, Muhammad Qayyum, Farrukh Javed and Yaqoob in court and submitted that they were the activists of the MQM and arrested on July 3 within the jurisdiction of the Rizvia Society police station.

The investigation officer submitted that the suspects were extorting money from the residents in the name of Fitraa and Zakat and sought their custody for questioning.

Defence lawyer Latif Pasha submitted that the suspects were associated with the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation, a charity wing of the MQM, and they were entitled to collect Fitra and Zakat and asked the court to discharge them under Section 63 of the criminal procedure code. A judicial magistrate (central) observed that all the offences were bailable and granted the suspects bail against a surety bond of Rs5,000 each.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

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