A city court in Karachi on Monday declared newly appointed Information and Technology (IT) Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders, including Nasreen Jalil, Kunwar Naveed, Kamal Pasha and others, absconders in a case pertaining to violation of the Loudspeaker Act.
The court also ordered seizure of their movable and immovable properties.
The MQM-P leaders were declared absconders on police’s request.
Dr Farooq Sattar, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, former leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan and other leaders will be indicted in the case on September 5.
Dr Sattar and Akhtar had previously obtained bail in the case.
On August 11, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi issued arrest warrants for MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Siddiqui and other leaders of the party.
The court was hearing 27 cases pertaining to inflammatory speeches made by the MQM founder. The other party leaders are accused of facilitating the speeches. The court will indict the accused on September 8.
Siddiqui had previously served as a member of the National Assembly from June 2013 to May 2018. He replaced Farooq Sattar as the convener of MQM-Pakistan in February 2018. Siddiqui was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of MQM-P from NA-255.
Published in Daily Times, August 21st 2018.
