KARACHI: An anti-terrorist court in Karachi on Thursday ordered a seven-day-long physical remand of former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker Nadeem Hashmi who was earlier arrested on murder and terror charges over the killing of two policemen.

Hashmi, in charge of the MQM’s North Nazimabad unit, was handed over to the police following the order of the ATC.

The former lawmaker was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Tuesday killing of two policemen in a North Nazimabad locality.

He was apprehended in a raid on his house in North Nazimabad and booked under the anti-terror law, killing of two policemen and snatching their official rifles.

The raid was carried out by the police on the house of the former legislator, who was booked in a case (FIR 181/13) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 at the Hyderi Market police station.

The FIR was lodged on behalf of the state.

The Investigation Officer (IO) had requested the court for a two week long remand, whereas Hashmi's counsel Shaukat Hayat had said that no evidence was available against his client and that the remand should therefore last no longer than three days.

Speaking to reporters outside the court today, Hayat said there was no need to send the former MPA on a week long remand, adding that no witnesses were named in the FIR against his client.

The counsel added that no arms and ammunition were seized from Hashmi during the raid on his residence.

Nadeem Hidayat Hashmi, 49, was elected an MPA in the 2013 by-election from a provincial assembly seat (PS-103) in North Nazimabad.