Izhar moves SHC for bail in three more cases

Malir police tell ATC judge they released MQM leader over lack of evidence

Karachi

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader and leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan filed three more bail applications in the Sindh High Court on Saturday in cases of terrorism and sedition against him.

Hasan had approached the high for obtaining pre-arrest bail in connection with three cases registered against MQM coordination committee at different police stations of Karachi following the party’s former chief Altaf Hussain’s controversial speech against state institutions.

Police had booked the MQM leaders and office-bearers for attending a gathering of the coordination committee meeting wherein the party chief had delivered the speech.

The cases were lodged against Hussain and other MQM leaders under charges of conspiracy, offence against the State and terrorism.

The complainants submitted that they had come to know that the MQM chief had delivered a speech at the meeting against the armed forces and the sovereignty of the country and that had hurt their feelings.

Hasan’s counsel submitted that the applicant had obtained pre-arrest bail in 26 cases and now he had come to know that three more cases were registered against him at different police stations of the Malir district. He submitted that the applicant wanted to surrender before the trial court but feared that he would be arrested. Thus, he had approached the high court for a protective bail so that he could safely appear before the trial courts.

 

Lack of evidence

The Malir police informed the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts on Saturday that they had released Hasan because there was no evidence against him in the sedition and hate speech cases.

Hasan along with other party leaders Farooq Sattar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Kanwar Naveed Jameel and others were nominated in an FIR registered at SITE Superhighway police station in the Malir district for allegedly facilitating the hate speeches of the former MQM chief.

The investigating officer informed the court that the police had arrested Hasan on Friday but later released him due to lack of evidence under Section 497 (2) of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

The police added that the MQM leader could be re-arrested if the investigators find solid evidence against him. While making the report a part of the case’s record, the judge directed the police to submit an investigation report as required under section 173 of the CrPC.