KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Saturday criticised the Sindh government for deteriorating law and order situation, while holding it responsible for police high-handedness in the provincial capital.
Talking to media after an appearance before an anti-terrorism court, Sattar termed the government’s lack of interest in taking all stakeholders onboard the root cause of all problems in the city.
“The government never consults leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly or Karachi mayor before taking important decisions, including operations, in the city,” he said, adding, “this is the reason provincial institutions, including the police, are in shambles.”
“Halting the salaries of police officials would achieve nothing, otherwise salary of the Sindh chief minister should be halted first,” he said.
A debate on extra-judicial killings stirred up in Karachi once again when committee probing into the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud found him innocent.
The 27-year-old, hailing from South Waziristan, was killed in an ‘encounter’ with a police team headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Rao Anwar in the Usman Khaskheli Goth on the outskirts of the metropolis last week was innocent.
ATC DEFERS INDICTMENT OF SATTAR, OTHER MQM LEADERS IN AUG 22 VIOLENCE CASE:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday deferred indictment of MQM-P chief Dr Farooq Sattar and other leaders in cases pertaining to the incendiary speeches by the party founder.
The ATC judge irked when the MQM leaders moved an application seeking to put off framing of charges against them.
The court observed the MQM leaders were asked to appear before it at 1:00pm on Saturday. Some of them turned up quite early while some were expected to appear on scheduled time, it added.
It expressed annoyance that the accused persons appeared as and when they liked in utter disregard to the court orders.
The judge directed all the accused to appear together at the same time so that he could frame charges against them and set Jan 27 for their indictment.
Meanwhile, the court issued arrest warrants for SP Investigation Malir Malik Altaf for failing to submit a challan in cases related to the incendiary speech by MQM founder Altaf Hussain on August 22 and the violence that followed on the day in Karachi.
The court also issued contempt of court notice to DIG East.
Police registered cases against MQM leaders after the violent incidents of August 22, 2016, during and after a telephonic speech by the party’s founder.
MQM-P leaders Sattar, Khawaja Izhar, Amir as well as other suspects appeared before the court on Saturday.
The MQM founder has already been declared absconder in five cases.
