Over 3230 criminal cases against political leaders have been withdrawn through National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Quaid Altaf Hussain tops the list with 72 cases. Of the total cases, 993 were in East Zone, 2126 West and 111 in South Zone of Karachi.
The list of NRO beneficiaries unveiled by the government on Saturday unrolled the names of MQM leaders who got exonerated from 182 criminal cases including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and Balwa.
The list shows that 72 withdrawn cases were against MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain and others, 23 against Farooq Sattar and others, five against Babar Khan Ghouri and others, one against Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad and others, 18 against Dr Imran Farooq, 21 against Dr Shoaib Bokhari and others, 12 against Kanwar Khalid Younas and others and 16 cases against Safdar Baqri.
According to the list, 31 murder cases have been withdrawn against the MQM Quaid and others through the NRO including 11 cases of attempt to murder; 3 cases of kidnapping and 25 cases of Balwa. Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar and others were cleared of 5 murder cases along with 4 attempt to murder; 3 kidnapping and 13 Balwa.
Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri and others were acquitted in 4 murder and 1 Balwa cases, while one attempt to murder case against Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad and others was withdrawn under the NRO. One case was withdrawn against Noman Sehgal MNA & others while Dr Imran Farooq & others were acquitted in seven cases of murder, 2 attempt to murder, 3 kidnapping and 6 Balwa, while 13 murder, three attempt to murder and 5 Balwa cases were withdrawn against Shoaib Bukhari and others.
Member National Assembly Waseem Akhtar and others have got cases withdrawn against them after the promulgation of NRO - one case of murder, one attempt to murder and five cases of Balwa. Saleem Shehzad got benefited in two attempt to murder, two kidnapping and five Balwa cases from the NRO while Kanwar Khalid and others have got benefited in four murder, five attempt to murder and 3 Balwa cases through the NRO. Sixteen cases including three murder, 1 attempt to murder, two kidnapping and 10 Balwa cases have been withdrawn against Safdar Baqri and others of MQM.