Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders and other accused appeared before the anti-terrorism court on Saturday in a case pertaining to the attack on media houses in the wake of the party founder’s hate speech on August 22, 2016. Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Kunwar Naveed, Shahid Pasha and other accused appeared before the court. The investigation officer and prosecution witness, Judicial Magistrate Kaleemullah, were also present in the hearing. The counsels of accused cross-examined the witness. Judicial Magistrate Kaleemullah had conducted the identification parade of the accused; producing all records before the court. The judge also ordered the accused released on bail to submit the copy of their national identity cards in the court. The court summoned the complainant in the next hearing while adjourning the case till May 11. Last November, Dr Sattar and other accused had refuted charges of attacking media houses and facilitating the said hate speech when the court had indicted them in the case.
As many as nine accused including the founder of MQM, Altaf Hussain, have already been declared proclaimed offenders. On August 22, 2016, party workers went berserk as they attacked the offices of media houses after being roused by the party’s London-based leader against the state agencies and the media.