MQM worker Syed Waqas Ali Shah. PHOTO: MQM
Ali, also an MQM worker, has been accused of killing his comrade during a protest that erupted after the Rangers raided the MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, on March 11 last year.
The prosecution maintains that the suspect, using a pistol, shot Shah at a time when the paramilitary force resorted to aerial firing in a bid to disperse the crowd that had converged to protest against the raid.
Shah, the 25-year-old MQM worker affiliated with the party's student wing, suffered a single bullet which hit his cheekbone and pierced through the back of his head, according to the post-mortem report.
The MQM said that the lethal gunshot came from the Rangers personnel, however, the paramilitary force refuted the allegation, shifting the responsibility on Shah's comrade. None of the Rangers' personnel carried a 9mm gun used in the killing, the force asserted.
So far, a dozen witnesses have deposed in the trial court. The testimonies include those of the two paramilitary soldiers who claim they saw the accused firing and then fleeing.
Ali was arrested three months after the incident in an 'intelligence-based' raid by the Rangers in Shahdadpur. The paramilitary force said the suspect had fled the city to avert arrest and a few top MQM leaders, including Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, knew about the incident.
The case is nearing conclusion, however, the testimony of a witness corroborating the facts maintained by the defence is awaited. On Saturday, the ATC judge asked the defence to present its witness on Monday or else the court will deem their side's arguments as closed and will head for final arguments.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2016.
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