From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London (MQM-L) leader and former minister Babar Ghauri was sent on remand till July 12 by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Tuesday.
Ghauri had been arrested at Karachi airport on Monday night upon his return to the country under sedition charges.
The police informed the court yesterday that the former minister was arrested on sedition charges in relation to a case which was registered in 2015. The ATC was informed that Ghauri had alleged clapped at the provocative speech by the party’s founder and 30 other MQM leaders have also been named in the case including Faisal Ali Subzwari, Nasreen Jalil, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Raza Haroon, Saif Yar Khan, Rehan Hashmi, Khawaja Izhar, Farooq Sattar, Rasheed Godil, Rauf Siddiqui, Waseem Akhtar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Qamar Mansoor among others.
Ghauri’s counsel Bashir Shah argued that his client had been arrested despite having been granted bail.
The former federal minister has several cases filed against him at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and had obtained protective bail, contended Shah.
Upon this, the court prevented NAB and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Ghauri as it extended the protective bail by another 9 days and ordered him to appear before the trial court. The court then granted police remand until July 12.
Prior to the hearing Ghauri spoke informally to the media and said that he had returned to the country on account of his mother’s ill health.
“If I was involved in any wrongdoing, I would not have returned,” he said while adding that he would face trial in court even though he rejected all accusations.
It must be noted that last month the MQM leader, who had been living in self-imposed exile since 2015 announced his return to face cases filed against him. The court had granted him protective bail until July 5 upon a request filed by him to avoid arrest upon his return. The court had also directed him to refer to the relevant court, however. New cases are to be filed against the politician for having ordered the murder of Shahid Hamid.
