KARACHI: A judicial magistrate granted on Tuesday bail to a Shia cleric in a case pertaining to instigation of violence.

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

The cleric, who was arrested on Nov 6 and remanded in prison custody the following day, through his lawyer moved a ball application and a judicial magistrate (central) granted him bail against a surety bond of Rs50,000.

On Nov 12, an anti-terrorism court dismissed the cleric`s bail. Later, the case was sent to a regular court since the police removed the relevant section of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, in the charge sheet.

According to the prosecution, scores of people and leaders of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen were taking the coffin of Khurram Zaki to CM 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 unidentified persons as absconders.

A case was registered under Sections 147 (punishment for 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 Loudspeal