HYDERABAD, March 25: The second additional district judge here on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, senior deputy convener Aftab Ahmad Shaikh, Imran Farooq, Nasreen Jalil, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Shafi Karnani and others.

Applications, praying the court to condone their absence, were submitted on behalf of the JSQM vice-chairman, Dr Niaz Kalani, and the Muttahida’s Salahuddin. The JSQM chairman Bashir Qureshi and other co-accused attended the court.

Two separate cases were registered against the accused on June 13, 2001, after the Muttahida and the JSQM had jointly given a call for strike to protest incidents of firing and baton-charge of their activists. The activists had staged a rally against water shortage in the province.—Correspondent