KARACHl: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday granted bail to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader and Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar in two cases pertaining to the hate speeches of London-based leader Altaf Hussain.

The mayor, who has been in jail since July, has been booked with other party leaders at the Brigade and Malir City police stations for listening to his party founder`s alleged hate speeches earlier this year.

The applicant through his lawyer moved bail applications and after hearing arguments from both sides, judge of the ATC-l Bashir Ahmed Khoso granted him bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000 in each case.

Mr Akhtar with his party lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui, Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani and Qadir Patel of the PPP landed in prison on July 19 when an ATC dismissed their pre-arrest bail applications in a case relating to treatment of suspected terrorists and gangsters at the hospitals being run by former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain.

The interned mayor facing trial in 39 cases in the ATCs has so far obtained bail in 32 cases.

Warrants for IO The same court on Saturday issued warrant against one of the investigating officers in four cases against former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza.

The disowned leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and his aides were booked in four cases pertaining to alleged storming of a police station in Badin, abusing police officials, forcibly shutting down markets in the district, trying to kill two shopkeepers, rioting, blocking a road and damaging property in May 2015.

The court issued non-bailable warrant for DSP Ahmed Qureshi as he did not turn up and deferred the indictment till Nov 19 due to the absence of some suspects.