An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has exonerated ex-MQM-P leader DrFarooqSattar and 13 others in a case pertaining to provoking violence and arson to obstruct eviction of families occupying government houses in the Pakistan Quarters area in 2018. DrSattar along with around 300 to 400 others was charged with allegedly instigating violence, rioting and armed assault on local administration officials and law enforcers during an hours-long standoff between residents and officials on Oct 24, 2018. The ATC-VIII judge pronounced her verdict. DrSattar and 13 nominated accused persons appeared in court on bail. The judge noted that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against the accused persons, hence exonerated all the 14 nominated accused persons. The judge directed the prison authorities to release all the accused persons if their custody was not required in any other case. In July 2019, the court had indicted DrSattar, Shamim Ahmed, Qazi Faisal Siddiqui, Raheemuddin, AsifRaza, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Idrees, Asif Ali, Mohammad Osama, Santosh, AltafHussain, Mohammad Ayaz, Nadeem Ahmed along with scores of unknown residents.
