Leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Syed Tahir Hussain Mashadi was awarded protective bail on Wednesday in a suspected terrorism case registered against him for listening to Altaf Hussain’s outburst against the security institutions.
A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar approved the bail for Mashadi for 10 days with the surety of Rs 1,00,000.
Over 100 cases have been registered against Altaf Hussain under the clauses of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 for making remarks against the military establishment and other national security agencies in his speeches.
Mashadi approached the high court for protective bail in FIR No 222/2015 registered with the New Town police station under Sections 120-A-B, 121, 122, 123-A, 109/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 25-B of the Telegraph Act read with Section 6/7 of the ATA.
Advocate Farooq H Naik, who represented the MQM leader, submitted that it was alleged in the FIR that his client had attended the public gathering and listened to the MQM chief’s speech criticising military establishment and other national security agencies. The complainant further alleged that the applicant clapped his hands, showing his support to the party chief, he added.
Refuting the allegations, the counsel said, the applicant was not the member of the party’s Rabitta Committee nor he had attended the gathering. He said his client was innocent and his name was incorporated in the FIR with an aim to harass and arrest him.