Rangers file case against MQM Chief Altaf Hussain
DAWN.COM |
IMTIAZ ALI — UPDATED 10 minutes ago
The case has been registered under section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act for allegedly threatening the paramilitary force. - mqm.org/File
KARACHI: Rangers officials on Tuesday filed a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain for threatening the paramilitary force, DIG South Abdul Khaliq Sheikh said.
The case has been registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Civil Lines police station in the metropolis on the request of the paramilitary force.
Rangers spokesperson Col Tahir Mehmood has filed the case against the political party.
The Rangers official maintained that following the raid on MQM Headquarters, Altaf – in an interview on Geo News – threatened members of the paramilitary force who were involved in the operation.
"
Woh the [past tense] ho jain ge," Hussain had told show host Shahzeb Khanzada on GeoNews, in an apparent veiled threat to the paramilitary force personnel involved in the raid.
Last week, Rangers officials conducted an unprecedented raid on the MQM's headquarters located in Karachi's Azizabad neighbourhood. A number of party workers, including MQM's Rabita Committee member Amir Khan, were detained during the raid.
Two convicted criminals were also recovered during the raid, Rangers asserted.
TV footage showed Rangers personnel in masks conducting a search operation at the headquarters, where arms and ammunition were also recovered.
Altaf Hussain had condemned the Rangers’ raid on the party’s headquarters and claimed that personnel of the paramilitary force brought the weapons and ammunition ‘wrapped in blankets’ with them and then claimed the recovery to frame the party.
Addressing workers gathered at the party’s headquarters after the Rangers raid on Wednesday, the MQM chief said the ‘establishment’ had never accepted him and for that he could step down from active politics to look after the party’s welfare wing.
The raid was ‘staged’ by Rangers, he had added.
7.1 Section 11-V of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997:
“Directing terrorist activities.- (1) A person commits an offence if he-(a) directs, at any level, whilst resident in Pakistan or abroad, activities of an organization concerned with the preparation, instigation or commission of acts of terrorism; or (b) directs, from within the country or abroad, activities connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under sub-section (1) shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for life and to forfeiture or confiscation of his assets within or outside Pakistan.”
7.2 Section 11-W of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997:
“Printing, publishing or disseminating any material to incite hatred or giving projection to any person convicted for a terrorist act or any proscribed organization or an organization placed under observation or anyone concerned in terrorism.- (1) A person commits an offence if he prints, publishes or disseminates any material, whether by audio or video-cassettes or by written, photographic, electronic, digital, wall-chalking or any other method which incites religious, sectarian or ethnic hatred or gives projection to any person convicted for a terrorist act, or any person or organization concerned in terrorism or proscribed organization or an organization placed under observation:
Provided that a factual news report, made in good faith, shall not be construed to mean “projection” for the purposes of this section.
(2) Any person guilty of an offence under sub-section (1) shall be punished on conviction with imprisonment which may extend to five years and with fine.”
Section 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code
Punishment for criminal intimidation: Whoever commences the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both. If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc.:
And if the threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or to impute unchastity to a woman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.