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Karachi anti-terror court issues arrest warrants against Altaf

Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain in a criminal intimidation case registered on the complaint of Colonel Tahir Mehmood of Sindh Rangers.
On August 1, the ATC-III had admitted a charge sheet against Altaf and declared him an absconder but deferred orders to label him a proclaimed offender.
In the case, Col. Mehmood who led the paramilitary force in the March 11 pre-dawn raid at 'Nine Zero', the MQM headquarters in Karachi, maintained that Altaf in a Geo News talk show threatened to physically eliminate the officers who were part of the raiding team.
Terming his words tantamount to a threat, the charge sheet quoted the MQM chief as saying: "Jin afsaran ne mere ghar par chapa mara woh Rangers ke afsaran thay, woh thay, woh ab thay hogaye (The officers who carried out a raid at my house were Rangers officers; they 'were', they have now become (things of the) past)."
Nine people, including the show's host, his team members and others, were named as witnesses in the charge sheet. Over 100 complaints have been registered by the police across the country for his latest tirade against the army and the Rangers while seeking help of forces from UN, Nato and India to save Mohajirs' 'bloodbath' in Karachi.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in a statement in Karachi condemned Altaf's statement. He said only an "insane person can think of approaching any foreign country, particularly India," to intervene in Karachi, in an implicit reference to Altaf's recent speech to workers in Dallas.
When peace has returned to the city, an unconstitutional demand for deployment of Nato and UN forces in Karachi was made by Altaf Hussain," added Qaim.
Qaim said: "We would not tolerate if any attempt is made to make the targeted operation controversial and the demands made against the sovereignty of the country."
news@khaleejtimes.com

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