ATC acquits Farooq Sattar, MQM-P leaders in hate speech cases

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday acquitted six MQM-P leaders — including organisational restoration committee head Farooq Sattar — in three hate speech cases, ARY News reported.

The court acquitted Farooq Sattar, former mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Javed Rahim, Mehmood Abdul Razzaq and Amir Khan.

Abdur Rauf Siddiqui and Qamar Mansoor have been acquitted in one case each while Salman Mujahid Baloch in two cases.

MQM-P leaders including, Dr Farooq Sattar, Aamir Khan, Waseem Akhtar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Qamar Mansoor, Rauf Siddiqui, Salman Mujahid and others had been booked over acting as facilitators in hate speeches made by MQM founder Altaf Hussain in August 2016.

The cases were registered against the party leaders over making, facilitating, and listening to provocative and contentious speeches by party chief Altaf Hussain.

The police said that the cases were registered at different police stations in Karachi back in 2016.