KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senior leader Farooq Sattar and party founder Altaf Hussain in a case for hate speech and sedition.

The administrative judge of the courts sent the case to ATC for trial of the accused persons.

Sattar has been charged for listening to, organising, and facilitating a speech by Hussain against the military establishment and security agencies, and the other incidents which saw workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement attacked two media houses on Aug 22.

Read: Khawaja Izhar gets interim bail in three cases

About 2,000 unknown MQM activists were also termed absconders in the chargesheet.

Last month, Sindh Rangers took Sattar along with MQM leader Khawaja Izhar ul Hasan into custody while they were trying to address the media outside Karachi Press Club.

The two leaders had gathered to address the media in connection to the attack on ARY News, however, as they were about to start the press conference, Rangers officials arrived at the site and asked both the leaders to come to Rangers headquarters.

However, the two were released after eight-hour-long custody.

Attack on ARY office

Violent protesters attacked an ARY News office on Aug 22 in the Saddar area of the metropolis, which resulted in clash between police and the angry mob — killing one person and injuring several others.

Police confirmed that "MQM workers pelted stones at police officials and the ARY office", adding that they also resorted to aerial firing outside the office.