MQM’s ‘hitman’ Saeed Bharam granted bail in 2008 Tahir Plaza arson case

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Wednesday granted bail to Ahmed Saeed alias Saeed Bharam, an alleged hitman of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, in a case related to the killing of six people, including a lawyer, in a 2008 arson attack in Karachi.

The Anti-Terrorism Court approved bail against surety bonds of Rs300,000.

The case stems from an April 9, 2008 incident in which Tahir Plaza, located near the City Courts and housing mainly lawyers’ offices, was set on fire following clashes between two groups of lawyers.

Advocate Altaf Abbasi and five of his clients were killed in the blaze.

Police had booked three suspects — M Imran alias Imran Saeed, Saeed Bharam and Faisal Javed — along with 12 absconding co-accused on charges of violence, arson and terrorism under the jurisdiction of Risala police station.

During Wednesday’s hearing, defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed argued that a co-accused who had identified Bharam had already been granted bail and that the accused had been in jail for a long period, warranting relief.

He further argued that Bharam had been implicated on the basis of testimony by Imran Saeed, who allegedly said he acted on Bharam’s instructions. The defence said the testimony lost evidentiary value after Imran Saeed’s acquittal.

Prosecutor Mushtaq Jahangiri opposed the bail plea, arguing it was not maintainable and should be rejected.