KARACHI:The Anti-terrorism court (ATC) rejected MuttahidaQaumi Movement’s (MQM) plea on Friday filed by WaseemAkhtar seeking permission to appear before the returning officer to submit nomination candidates for mayorship.
The petition was filed in the court by Waseem’s Counsel, KhawajaNaveed who maintained that his client was MQM’s mayoral candidate for Karachi and thus should be allowed to leave prison for appearance before returning officer.
The court turned down the formal request stating that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would decide whether Waseemwould appear before returning officer or not.The returning officer was authorised to summon a mayor-designate, the court stated.
Counsel for the defendant in DrAsimHussain’s terror facilitation case said that he would approach the ECP once the anti-terrorism court releases order.MQM’s mayoral candidate was detained after a hearing in DrAsim’s case last month along with RaufSiddique, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Abdul Qadir Patel and Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) AneesQaimkhani.
The ATC had rejected petitions seeking extension in interim bails of all the four accused after which they were not allowed to leave the court’s premises.DrAsimHussain, former petroleum minister had named the aforementioned politicians during interrogation by the Joint Investigation Team in a terror case against him.
According to DrAsim, Waseem and others had asked him to treat militants and target killers in his hospital (DrZiauddin Hospital) in Karachi.A case was lodged at the North Nazimabad Police Station last year in November against the former petroleum minister under terror sections.
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