Daily Times

KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday once again directed police to arrest Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar and other party leaders in cases pertaining to treason, attacking a news channel and riots on August 22, 2016.

Expressing its displeasure over non-arrest of absconding accomplice including Sattar and Amir Khan, the court directed the investigating officer to arrest the accused and produce them on Monday.

At the outset, the police informed the court that the team has been formed to arrest Sattar and others. While expressing concerns on investigators performance, the ATC judge observed that the police should realize the sensitivity of this matter.

The MQM founder Altaf Hussain along with as many as 1,500 people including, leaders and workers of the party has been booked in several police station for delivering and facilitating anti-state speech respectively.

Altaf had delivered the speech against the state that was allegedly facilitated and listened by the leaders and workers in August last year outside Karachi Press Club. The MQM London based founder had criticized the national security agencies and on his provocation, the workers raised anti-Pakistan slogans. According to police, the suspects had also attacked private news channels and rioted near Fawara Chowk after their chief addressed them and incited for the violence. At least one person was died and others injured in the riots within the limits of Artillery Maidan police station.

It was pertinent to mention here that Sattar was released by police after brief detention and questioning on Saturday in the same case.