SHC suspends arrest warrants issued for Wasim Akhtar

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday suspended the operation of non-bailable warrants issued for the arrest of former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar in a case pertaining to providing shelter and medical treatment to terrorists.

The court restrained the police from arresting the MQM leader and directed him to appear before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) hearing the case within seven days. He is required to furnish a surety bond of Rs50,000 against the non-bailable warrants issued for his arrest by the ATC court.

Also Read: Court issues arrest warrants for Wasim Akhtar

The anti-terrorism court last week issued non-bailable warrants for the MQM-P leader over his absence from the hearing. The court adjourned the case until March 12.

Wasim Akhtar, PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain, PSP leader Anis Qaimkhani and Rauf Siddiqui have been nominated in the case registered at the North Nazimabad police station in 2015.

According to the case, registered on the complaint of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh, the PPP leader allegedly treated and harboured suspected terrorists and militants at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the request of some MQM and PPP leaders.

Also Read: Dr Asim case: Rangers present terrorists’ treatment bills in court

Dr Asim was alleged to have done all this on instructions of MQM leaders Wasim Akhtar and Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, PSP president Qaimkhani and PPP leader Qadir Patel. All the accused are out on bail.

Earlier, a Rangers lawyer, Sajid Mahboob Shaikh, had claimed that Dr Asim used to provide medical treatment to MQM terrorists. Asim also provided treatment to 13 terrorists of Lyari Gang War and six members of Al Qaeda, he added.