KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr. Farooq Sattar and other leaders have been acquitted in two cases of facilitating provocative speeches against state institutions.
The ATC acquitted Dr. Farooq Sattar, former mayor Wasim Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, and Qamar Mansoor in two cases. The accused had filed petitions in the court seeking their acquittal in two cases, which were approved by the court.
Sohrab Goth police station of Karachi had filed cases against the accused in the year 2015. During the hate speech case hearing, the police had informed the court in a hearing last year in March that there was no evidence against the accused and requested for A-Class status for the two cases.
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“There is no evidence of facilitating an abusive speech against the accused,” the police had informed the court. The judge expressed his displeasure with the police on request to the court to close the two cases.
It may be recalled that on August 22, 2016, MQM founder Altaf Hussain filed cases against Farooq Sattar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Amir Liaquat Hussain among others in various police stations in Karachi for facilitating anti-Pakistan speech and attacks on media houses.
