Saleem Shahzad sent to jail on judicial remand

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sent former Muttahida Qaumi Movement politician Saleem Shahzad on judicial remand till February 18.

A lawyer for Saleem Shahzad presented his medical reports in the court. He maintained that the politician was seeking treatment for cancer and that he should be released.

Speaking to journalists, Saleem Shehzad expressed his faith in the courts. He said he was suffering from kidney and liver cancer and that had no idea he would be arrested. "Look at (PPP politician) Sharjeel Memon, out on bail," he said.

Investigation officials said that 23 cases had been registered against the former MQM politician who was arrested from the airport on Monday, as he returned to Karachi after ending a self-imposed exile. Of them three cases have been registered in Joharabad, while three cases have been registered in various police stations of Karachi. The politician has been acquitted in four cases, while 14 cases were closed in accordance with the NRO.

Investigation officials told Geo News that they were trying to reopen cases for Saleem Shahzad, however they were facing difficulties as the case files had gone missing.

In 2015, the senior politician had expressed his desire to relinquish politics in a bid to utilise his experience in some other area.

Shahzad was suspended from the MQM a few years ago and since then he had not taken part in the party politics. He, however, regularly attended the party events in its London Secretariat. The former MQM leader had previously spoken out against a ‘mafia’ in the party working against its chief Altaf Hussain.