SHC seeks comments on MQM MPA’s plea against ‘fake’ cases

Karachi

The Sindh High Court issued notices to the advocate general of the province and others on Friday on a petition filed by a member of the provincial assembly belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement complaining of harassment and seeking details of cases registered against him.

The legislator of the opposition, Mahfooz Yar Khan, submitted in his petition that police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies had started a crackdown against the MQM and its supporters and they were implicating them in blind cases to harass them. 

He further said that police had implicated several party leaders and workers in false cases. He apprehended his arrest in such cases.

MPA Khan requested the high court to direct the police to submit details of cases if any and restrain them from nominating him in any blind FIRs. On August 29, the administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts remanded another MQM MPA in prison in a case related to the alleged distribution of CDs of anti-state speeches.

After the end of his physical remand, MPA Shiraz Waheed appeared before the administrative judge in police custody and was sent to prison on judicial remand. The judge asked the police to submit an investigation report.

According to the case, the lawmaker along with his 15 absconding accomplices was distributing among people in Ahsanabad CDs which contained speeches and statements to wage war or attempt or abet to wage war against the country.

Police claimed to have found 32 such CDs in the custody of the MPA at the time of his arrest on August 25.

The crackdown against the MQM started after the party’s founder, Altaf Hussain, made a provocative address to hunger strikes outside the Karachi Press Club on August 22, made anti-Pakistan remarks and incited protesters to violence.

After the speech, protesters attacked a media house near Fawara Chowk and resorted to firing that killed a man and injured several other people in the security red zone of the city.