MQM leaders granted pre-arrest bail until Jan 20

KARACHI: A Sessions court in Karachi granted pre-arrest bail on Thursday to senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Waseem akhtar and Haider Abbas Rizvi until January 20 in a case filed over their alleged violation of the Loudspeaker Act.

On Wednesday, the court had issued arrest warrants against the MQM leaders in a case registered with the Soldier Bazar police station for alleged violation of Section 144 and use of loudspeaker.

Today, the political leaders approached the court for pre-arrest bail. The court accepted their plea and granted them bail until January 20 against surety bonds of Rs10,000 each.

It may be mentioned that the Sindh High Court had granted pre-arrest protective bail to Waseem Akhtar until January 18 in two separate cases after submission of Rs50,000 surety bonds in both cases.

Akhtar is facing 27 cases over various charges including facilitation in provocative speeches against intelligence agencies and the army, as well as helping terrorists receive medical treatment at the Ziauddin Hospital. Rizvi faces three cases over charges of facilitating delivery of hate-speeches.

The MQM workers are accused of causing hurdles for people when they gathered at the MA Jinnah Road to protest against the law enforcers on October 26, 2015.

The party took out rally from Liaquatabad which was scheduled to culminate at Rangers Headquarter, but the protestors were barred by the police at Numaish Chowrangi. The protest rally turned into a sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi which was addressed by the party leaders.