KARACHI - An anti-terrorist court on Wednesday handed over a former provincial minister and a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Qamar Mansoor to Rangers on a 90-day remand in a case of hate speech.
Mansoor, a former minister for sports, was arrested by Rangers along with the head of the party’s coordination committee, Kaiful Wara in a raid on the party’s headquarters Nine-Zero for arranging and facilitating hate speech against peace in Karachi last week.
Kaif was later released but Mr Mansoor was booked for arranging and facilitating the recent speeches of his self-exiled party leader Altaf Hussain in which he bitterly criticised the Army and Rangers.
He was presented before the court amid tight security. The defence counsel submitted that his client was a chronic patient of high blood pressure and had also been suffering from pain in backbone, therefore, he should be sent to hospital for treatment.
However, the Rangers’ counsel opposing the defence counsel’s plea said the accused was being provided all required medical treatment in the custody. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the judge granted a 90-day remand of Mansoor and directed the defence lawyer to present his client’s medical report before the court within a week.
Earlier, the court granted the Rangers’ request for a 90-day remand of three MQM workers, Yousaf Memon, Nasir Chingari, and Abdul Rehman who were arrested from different parts of the city last week for allegedly being involved in targeted killings. Meanwhile, Altaf has condemned the remand of party leader Qamar Mansoor into the Rangers custody for 90 days. In a statement on Wednesday, he said it was regrettable that party coordination committee member Qamar Mansoor was brought to the court.
The court ignored his repeated medical pleas and remanded him into the Rangers custody for 90 days.
Altaf said that what justice was this where religious extremists slaughtered the army men. These extremists carried out the terrorist’s activities and promoted the culture of killing in the country and they were also set free. Those insulted the sacrifices of Pakistan armed forces were dear to the establishment. Moreover, those who looted the country’s finances are not only free but today they are enjoying the key administrative posts.