KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court dismissed on Saturday the bail application of a Shia cleric in a case pertaining to instigation to violence.

All Pakistan Shia Action Committee chief Allama Mirza Yusuf Hussain with others has been booked for allegedly instigating people to violence in Sharifabad after the murder of civil rights campaigner Khurram Zaki in May.

The cleric, who was arrested on Nov 6 and sent to prison on judicial remand the next day, moved his ball application through his lawyer. After hearing arguments from both sides, the ATC-IX judge turned down the bail plea.

According to the prosecution, scores of people and leaders of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen were taking the coffin of Zaki to the Chief Minister House in a procession and when it reached a bridge in Sharifabad, Allama Yusuf spoke to the participants that allegedly triggered a violent protest.

Police named Jibran Nasir, Samar Abbas and 600 to 700 unknown persons as absconders.

A case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 337-H (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 6/7 of the Sindh Sound (Regulation) Act, 2015, commonly known as the Loudspeaker Act, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.