KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday granted bail to former Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Saleem Shahzad in a case related to providing shelter and treatment to suspected terrorists.

The applicant, who was arrested on Feb 6 soon after landing at Karachi airport from Dubai, submitted in his bail application that he returned to the country to surrender himself before the court, but he was arrested at the airport.

Besides citing medical grounds, his counsel argued that since the court granted bail to all other accused in the case his client was also entitled to bail.

However, Special Public Prosecutor Sajid Mahboob Shaikh opposed the plea asking the court to constitute a medical board to examine the applicant. He added that the rule of consistency was not applicable since the other accused had obtained bail after spending a reasonable periodin prison.

After hearing both sides, the ATC-H judge granted bail against a surety bond of Rs500,000 to the applicant. The court also kept the British passport of the applicant and ruled that he could not leave the country without the permission of the trial court.

The hearing was adjourned till April 15 to provide copies of the prosecution papers to the suspect.

Former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain was facing trial in the case pertaining to alleged treatment and harbouring of suspected terrorists, political militants and gangsters at his Dr Ziauddin Hospital. Other coaccused are Pak Sarzameen Party President Anis Kaimkhani, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, MQM-Pakistan lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui, PPP`s Abdul Qadir Patel, Mr Shahzad and Usman Moazzam of Pasban.

A case was registered on the complaint of a deputy superintendent of Rangers at the North Nazimabad police station. Though the investigation officer had `cleared` Dr Asim and others for what he claimed was lack of evidence in December 2015, the administrative judge of the ATCs had thrown out the police report and took cognizance after considering the available material that the judge said was sufficient to put the accused on trial.

Order on MPA`s bail plea tomorrow Another ATC reserved on Saturday its order on the bail application of an MQM lawmaker in explosives and illicit weapon cases.

The Rangers had arrested MPA Mohammad Kamran Farooq in December 2016 in the Garden area for allegedly carrying a grenade and an unlicensed pistol.

The suspect moved the bail application and after hearing arguments from both sides, the ATC-IX judge reserved the order till March 13.

The MPA was bool(ed in two cases under Sections 4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and Section 23(i)(a) of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013 read with Section 7 of the AntiTerrorism Act, 1997 on the complaint of Rangers at the Nabi Bux police station.

Meanwhile, the ATC-X issued a show-cause notice to the jail superintendent for not producing a leader of MQM-London in explosives and illicit weapons cases.

Police had arrested Ashraf Noor in the Nabi Bux area for allegedly carrying two grenades and unlicensed weapons in January.