KARACHI: A local court has issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders, including its chief Dr Farooq Sattar, in a case pertaining to a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s House. The court issued non-bailable arrest warrants over the perpetual failure of the MQM-P leaders to turn up before it and face charges. It directed the investigation officer to ensure compliance of the warrants against the accused persons who are on the run. The hearing was adjourned till August 17. Karachi’s Mayor Waseem Akhtar and Sindh Assembly’s opposition leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan have been exempted from personal appearance in the court. Civil Lines police had registered a case against MQM-Pakistan leaders for staging a protest outside the CM House on June 5 last year against shortage of water in several areas of the city. They have been accused of creating law and order situation by holding a protest in the red zone area. Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court sentenced three suspected terrorists to 26 years in prison in a case pertaining to attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom, and possession of illicit arms. The court found Samad alias Imran, Dilshad and Aurangzeb said to be associated with a proscribed organization for attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom and possession of illegal weapons. The three terror suspects were arrested from Steel Town area in 2016 and police had recovered weapons and explosive material from their possession. Meanwhile, an Anti-terrorism Court-VII adjourned the hearing of seven cases against Lyari gangster and the former chief of banned People’s Amn Committee, Uzair Baloch till August 2nd During hearing, the judge of ATC-VII housed at Karachi Central Jail adjourned the cases against him Uzair as he was currently in the custody of Pakistan army and is being trialed for indulging in anti-state activities by a military court. Uzair is facing criminal cases ranging from kidnapping, killing of a businessman who hailed from Balochistan, possession of explosives, to killing of policemen during Lyari operating in 2012. He is also facing charges of killing Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu and others. The military personnel on April 11 had taken him into their custody under the provisions of the Official Secret Act, 1923 as he has been accused of passing on sensitive and secret information to some foreign forces and committing anti-state activities. Uzair Baloch, Amin Buledi, Faisal Niazi, Badshah Khan, Jahangir Khan, Naeem Lahooti and others were also due to be indicted in 16 cases by a sessions court concerned. Published in Daily Times, July 18th, 2017.