The Sindh High Court (SHC) granted Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi Chairman Afaq Ahmed bail against a surety bond of Rs 1 million on Monday in Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist Atiqur Rehman’s murder case.
SHC’s Justice Tasneem Ahmed, who granted the bail, is the fourth judge to proceed the Haqiqi chief’s case. Previously, Justices Athar Saeed and Ahmed Ali Sheikh had refused to take up the case, whereas Justice Tufail H Ibrahim had resigned under mysterious circumstances.
According to details, the last case against the Haqiqi chairman was fixed for hearing before Justice Saeed in May, but he refused to proceed the matter. Then the case was transferred to Justice Ibrahim on July 19, but he resigned a day before the hearing on July 23. When the case was transferred to Justice Sheikh, he excused himself from hearing it. Finally, the case was transferred to Justice Ahmed.
During Monday’s proceedings, the single bench of Justice Ahmed heard the arguments of the Haqiqi chief’s counsels Ilyas Khan and Muhammad Farooq on a plea seeking bail and quashment of murder charges. Justice Ahmed observed that no evidence had been found against Haqiqi chairman Afaq Ahmed in MQM activist Atiqur Rehman’s murder case. The SHC also ordered the trial court to dispose of the acquittal plea of the applicant within three months.
Strict security measures were taken for the hearing of the case. Aamir Khan – who had quit the MQM along with Afaq Ahmed, and has now returned to the party – was also present on the occasion. Sources said Khan was ordered by the MQM leadership to monitor the proceedings.
The Haqiqi chief was booked for the murder of MQM’s Rehman by the Nabi Bakhsh police in June 2009, and the trial court had rejected the acquittal plea of the applicant. Shahzad – the complainant of the case – had lodged First Information Report (FIR) No 222/09 under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, some Haqiqi activists had wounded Shahzad and killed his brother Atiqur Rehman in June 2009 at the behest of Afaq Ahmed.
In last week’s proceedings, counsel Farooq contended before the court that no evidence against the Haqiqi chief was found by the police and his client had nothing to do with the offence because he has been in jail since April 2004, whereas the case was registered on June 20, 2009. Farooq submitted that there was no shred of evidence to implicate the applicant in the case. Besides, the investigation officer also had not charge-sheeted the applicant due to lack of evidence, the counsel added. The court then issued the bail orders and instructed that the Haqiqi chairman be released.
Bravo to Justice Ahmed who heard the case of Afaq Ahmed. Such is the fear instilled into the society by Altaf and his thugs in the society that no one dared to speak against MQM including his supremo, Justice Ahmed is a brave man and it is government's duty to provide him fool proof security.
The people have gathered courage to stand up against terrorists. The credit goes to Dr Zulfiqar Mirza who broke the taboo.
The story above reports that Amir Khan was sent by the leadership of the MQM to monitor the proceedings. He is the one who parted ways with Afaq and joined the main faction and is now openly admitting that because of his association with Afaq hundreds of people died which in other words is his confession of commiting many murders and yet no action is being taken by the government against him.
well nice decision have been provided by the Justice Ahmed and he is very brave man , false and fabricated cases have been logged against Afaq Bhai due to enmity with MQM and i pray he shall be acquitted from the all cases ,
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