KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday indicted Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar in a case pertaining to violation of the Loudspeaker Act.

Dr Sattar and Mayor Akhtar have been booked for allegedly violating the Loudspeaker Act, rioting, unlawful assembly and causing wrongful restraint.

On Wednesday, the matter was fixed before the judicial magistrate (East) for indictment.

The magistrate framed charges against the two leaders, who were present in the courtroom. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges.

According to the prosecution, the MQM leaders held a protest rally against the arrests of workers and Rangers’ raids at party offices within the remit of the Soldier Bazaar police station in 2015.

The rally began from Liaquatabad area and it was to culminate at the Rangers Headquarters located near the Sindh Assembly, but police stopped the participants near Numaish Chowrangi.

Nine party leaders including Dr Sattar, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Nasreen Jalil, Wasay Jalil, Faisal Subzwari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mayor Akhtar and others were booked in a case for violation of the Loudspeaker Act and under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, “harassing commuters” during the rally.

The FIR stated that 1,500 to 2,000 workers of the MQM gathered at M.A. Jinnah Road to protest against the government, during which the Loudspeaker Act was violated as party leaders made speeches.

Police also booked the MQM leaders for creating hurdles for the general public by blocking roads.

A case was registered against them under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Sections 6/7 of the Sindh Sound System Act.

Indictment deferred in 31-year-old case

Another court (East) deferred indictment of Dr Sattar in a 31-year-old case pertaining to the violation of the Loudspeaker Act lodged in 2015.

The case was registered in PIB Colony on June 27, 1987.

According to the FIR, MQM leader Mohammad Shahid had organised a programme wherein MQM chief Altaf Hussain, general secretary Azeem Tariq and Dr Sattar were present along with 600-700 participants.

“Altaf Hussain criticised an Urdu newspaper and announced to boycott the publication over the loudspeaker,” stated the FIR, adding it was seen that armed bodyguards were also present in the meeting.

A case under Section 188 of the PPC, Sections 2/3 of the Loudspeaker Act read with Section 13-D of the Arms Ordinance was registered at the New Town police station.

In June, Sattar had obtained interim bail from a district court in the case to contest the general elections.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2018