K A R ACHI: An antiterrorism court reissued on Thursday an arrest warrant against Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation.

The MQM chief was booked for allegedly threatening Rangers officials during a TV talk show following a pre-dawnraid on his party headquarters, Nine Zero, and adjoining areas in Azizabad, on March 11.

The police submitted on Aug 1 an investigation report to an ATC in which Mr Hussain was charge-sheeted under in Section 512 (record of evidence in absence of accused) of the criminal procedure code and shown as an absconder.

Thereafter, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against the MQM chief.ATC-III Judge Saleem Raza Baloch issued a fresh non-bailable warrant and asked the investigating officer for his arrest and production on Sept 5.

The charge-sheet said that the paramilitary force had raided the MQM headquarters on March 11 and contended that several criminals and suspects were arrested along with a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives during the raid.

It maintained that on theevening of March 11, the MQM chief, during a TV talk show, had allegedly hurled threats at Rangers officials who took part in the raid at his party headquarters.

A case was registered against the MQM chief under Section 506-B (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the AntiTerrorism Act, 1997, on the complaint of Colonel Tahir at the Civil Lines police station.