KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday issued notices to special public prosecutor and others directing them to file comments on applications filed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Rauf Siddqui, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) President Anees Qaimkhani and Pasban’s general secretary Usman Moazzam.

The political leaders approached the SHC after the rejection of bails from an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the case pertaining to harbouring and getting terrorists belonging to the political parties treated at Ziauddin Hospital.

The above mentioned political leaders along with MQM’s nominated mayor for Karachi Waseem Akhter, had been facing charges of asking Dr Asim Hussain, a PPP leader and a close-aide of former President Asif Ali Zardari, to treat the militants belonging to their respective parties at two branches of Ziauddin Hospital, owned by him.

Pasban’s Usman Moazzam had already been arrested in the case but PSP’s Qaimkhani; MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui and Waseem Akhtar; and PPP estranged leader Abdul Qadir Patel were arrested last month after the ATC had cancelled their interim bails and ordered their arrests.

The political leaders separately filed bail pleas through their counsels, requesting the court to grant them bails.

Qaimkhani submitted in his plea that he was out of Pakistan from 2013 to 2016 and he was nominated in the case on the basis of political rivalry.

Rauf Siddiqui submitted through his counsel that his interim bail was rejected on the basis of Joint Investigation Team’s report which could not be considered as a testimony in the case.

Separately, Usman Moazzam maintained that he had been arrested since long yet he was nominated in terrorists’ treatment case.

The political leaders requested the court to grant them bails as they maintained that they did not commit the offence they had been blamed for.

In the Friday’s hearing, the SHC bench issued notices to the special public prosecutor and others directing them to file their respective comments on 18th August 2016.—PPI