Absence of lawyers: Media houses attack case adjourned till June 13

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court judge Saturday expressed resentment over absence of the lawyers in hearing of two cases against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders pertaining to attack on ARY News and other media houses on August 22, 2016 after hate speech of the party’s founder.

Farooq Sattar and other accused appeared in anti-terrorism court on Saturday but the lawyers were absent.

“Are you interested in continuation of proceeding of the case or not?,” the judge questioned. “Three years have passed but either the accused or lawyers remain absent (in the hearing). But the court held responsible for the delay,” the judge said.

The court adjourned hearing of the case until June 13 due to absence of the lawyers.

The counsels of accused cross-examined prosecution witness and Judicial Magistrate Kaleemullah in the previous hearing.

Judicial Magistrate Kaleemullah had conducted the identification parade of the accused.

The court has already declared nine accused of the case including the founder of MQM as proclaimed offenders.

Farooq Sattar and other accused had pleaded not guilty of attacking media houses and facilitating the hate speech of the party’s founder when the court indicted them in the case in November last year.

Two cases were registered against the accused at Artillery police station of Karachi after the party workers’ attack on media offices in the city.

The workers of MQM went berserk and attacked the office of ARY News and other media houses on August 22, 2016 evening, after party’s London-based leader’s vitriolic speech against the state agencies and the media.