Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar finally walked out of the city’s central jail on Wednesday after he successfully secured bail in all 39 cases registered against him.
Akhtar’s release came after he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the last of 39 cases against a surety of Rs0.5 million.
Last week, Akhtar was granted bail in the 38th case registered against him. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader who was elected as Karachi’s 28th mayor by contesting the polls from jail for the first time in August, faced 39 cases. Of these, he had obtained bail in 38 cases and only one was left.
The mayor had been alleged of involvement in the treatment of terrorists at the former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain’s Ziauddin Hospital.
Dr Asim, MQM lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui, Waseem Akhtar, Qadir Patel, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) president Anis Kaimkhani and Usman Moazzam of Pasban-e-Pakistan were indicted in a terror facilitation case, following which the judge summoned witnesses to appear in court against the suspects.
The imprisoned mayor took oath earlier this year despite staunch opposition from rival parties. Akhtar, a former MPA, who is being held at Karachi’s central prison was brought to Polo Ground amid high security to take his oath. The tenure of the city’s last elected mayor, Syed Mustafa Kamal, ended almost six-and-half-years ago in February, 2010.
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