Waseem Akhter bailed out in Dr Asim case

KARACHI: An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) yesterday granted interim bail to Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) leader and nominated mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhter in Dr Asim’s terrorists treatment case.

Waseem Akhter, who also served as advisor to home minister, is accused of asking Dr Asim to provide medical facilities to the militants, who got injured in clashes with law enforcers or party rivals, in Ziauddin hospital.

Akhter through his counsel Khawaja Naveed approached the ATC to avoid the arrest by obtaining the bail. The judge asked him to submit Rs1 million as surety amount on which Akhter replied that he would not pay such a big amount. The judge said that he should to go to jail instead. All of a sudden, Akhter’s counsel intervened stating that his client is also facing other cases and has to secure bail in them too.

The arguments reached to an interesting point when Khwaja Naveed stated that his client is mayor-to-be and has to do a lot of work pertaining to solving the sewage problems of this city. The judge, with a little humor in her voice, said that the suspect should first clean the city; the court will then consider diminishing the bail amount.

Ultimately, MQM leader was awarded an interim bail against a surety bonds of Rs 0.5 million. His party fellow, former minister Rauf Siddiqui, is also on bail in the same case.-Agencies