MWM leader Ameen Shaheedi. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday extended the physical remand of three suspects in the Mufti Amanullah murder case for another ten days.
The suspects — Afzaal Haider, Tayyab Shakeel and Kalbe Sadiq — were earlier sent on a four-day physical remand after their interim bails expired on August 28, 2015. The court has ordered the police station of the Counter Terrorism Department to complete their investigation into the case and present the report and suspects again on September 11.
On the last hearing, the court had also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for three other suspects, including Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) leader Ameen Shaheedi.
The police, however, told the court on Tuesday that Shaheedi had gone underground and that they are conducting raids to arrest him.
Amanullah, deputy caretaker of Taleemul Quran seminary in Raja Bazaar, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Wapda Gate on Dhamial Road in the limits of RA Bazaar Police Station on September 21, 2014.
Amanullah, also a member of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, had gone to lay the foundation stone of a madrassa in Khurram Colony when he was ambushed on his way back. The police said he was travelling on a motorcycle along with one of his companions when two unidentified men opened fire on them. The deceased was the son of Maulana Ashraf Ali, caretaker of the Taleemul Quran Madrassa.
Police had booked six suspects, including Shaheedi, on charges of abetting the killing of Amanullah.
The MWM leader was granted the pre-arrest bail in the case by the Islamabad High Court on August 4, 2015. Shaheedi appeared before the court on August 24 and requested extension in his pre-arrest bail till August 27, which was granted.
Meanwhile, ATC Judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth on Monday acquitted Qari Ihsanul Haq, who was accused of inciting sectarian hatred, for want of evidence.
Death to life
The Supreme Court on Tuesday converted the death sentence of three murder accused into life terms in prison.
Mulazim Hussain, Sajid Hussain and Abid Hussain were received a death sentence for the murder of Khalid and Waqas.
Their appeals were turned down by a high court following which they approached the apex court.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa accepted the appeal and observed that the three accused are brothers and the murder was not intentional or part of a conspiracy.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2015.
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