Former MQM MPA set free for ‘lack of evidence’

The News M. Waqar Bhatti Wednesday, September 18, 2013 From Print Edition KARACHI: Former MPA of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Nadeem Hashmi, was released on Tuesday evening by the police for ‘lack of evidence’ under Section 497 CrPc, West Zone Police said. “During investigations, police investigators did not find sufficient evidence against Nadeem Hashmi to implicate him in the murder of two police personnel, so he has been set free” DIG West Javed Alam Odho told newsmen on Tuesday. Nadeem Hashmi was arrested during a raid at his residence in Block-H of North Nazimabad by the Hyderi police on the night of September 11 after two police personnel of Hyderi Market police were killed by unidentified gunmen on the same night. Nadeem Hashmi was booked under sections 302, 397 and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in an FIR no. 181/13 lodged at Hyderi police station for the murder of two police personal, snatching their SMGs and resorting to terrorism. An Anti-Terrorism Court had remanded former Muttahida MPA Nadeem Hashmi to police custody for seven days on Thursday, September 12, 2013 and his police remand had to be completed on Wednesday but he was released prior to presenting him before the ATC. Station Investigation Officer (SIO) of Paposh police, Hussain Mehdi who was the in charge of the investigation of the case, told The News that Section 497 (2) of CrPC empowers the police to release a suspect for ‘finding no sufficient evidence’. “Tomorrow we will present a report before the ATC stating that no sufficient evidence was found against the accused and hence he was released for lack of sufficient evidence to implicate him before the court” Inspector Hussain Mehdi maintained. He claimed that interrogation by a Joint Interrogation Team (JIT), which is comprised of police, Rangers and intelligence agencies’ officials, was completed and JIT also found no evidence against the accused. JIT not completed A senior Sindh Rangers’ official told The News on Tuesday that interrogation by the JIT was not completed as only two sittings of the team had been held so far when they learnt that accused Nadeem Hashmi was released by the police for lack of evidence. “During these two sittings, we found that if he (Nadeem Hashmi) not totally black, he was surely ‘grey’ and the JIT was trying to dig out facts when we learnt that he has been released under some powers by the police” the Rangers’ official said. He refuted police claims that interrogation was completed by the JIT, which led to release of Nadeem Hashmi for lack of sufficient evidence and added if police had the JIT’s report, it should present a signed copy of the report before the media. Release under deal Some sources in the law enforcement agencies claimed that release of former Muttahida MPA Nadeem Hashmi was part of a deal between the federal and provincial governments with Muttahida Qaumi Movement. “Muttahida was exerting pressure on the provincial and federal governments since day one when he (Mr. Hashmi) was taken into custody and booked under murder and terrorism charges and they had closed down entire Karachi on September 11, 2013 against the arrest” a source said. He claimed that sudden departure of the Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ibad, threats of his resignation and statements against the law enforcing agencies and allegations regarding partiality of the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi by the Muttahida were some of the tactics used by the party to get their man set free.