Pakistan's ATC orders arrest of MQM leaders Sattar, Amir Khan

Karachi: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) here has ordered the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) to arrest Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr. Farooq Sattar and senior leader Amir Khan and produce them before the court.

Both are to be arrested in connection with two cases pertaining to sedition, anti-state offences and attack on media houses following the Aug 22, 2016 incendiary speech of party founder Altaf Hussain, reports the Dawn.

The ATC-II judge sent a letter to the Rangers` DGP Major General Mohammad Saeed, along with non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the two leaders, directing him to arrest and produce them in court on May 31 without fail.

The court observed that despite several directives, police were unable to arrest Dr.Sattar and MQM-P`s senior deputy convener Amir Khan.

Declaring it a most urgent matter, the judge asked the Rangers chief to keep it as his top priority.

The ATC has repeatedly been issuing warrants for the arrest of the MQM leaders since October last.

However, the police on almost every hearing told the trial court that the leaders went into hiding and warrants could not be executed.

However, the court rejected the police reports and came down hard on police officials, telling them that the absconders were easily accessible to media and appearing on TV channels almost on a daily basis.

The two cases were registered at the Artillery Maidan police station after a highly provocative speech of the MQM founder on August 22, 2016 outside the Karachi Press Club that triggered a violent protest and ransacking of media houses in which a passer-by was killed and several others were injured.