ATC to indict Zulfiqar Mirza on Jan 9

The politician while talking to media criticised the government for allegedly facilitating Dr Asim Hussain

KARACHI: The trial against former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza is set to begin as an anti-terrorism court (ATC) provided copies of prosecution data to him on Saturday.

The ATC-I, which is hearing Mirza's Badin cases, supplied copies of statements and others prosecution documents of the four cases against them to the accused, fixing January 9 as the date for their indictment.

Mirza and his allies are booked in a number of cases including storming a police station, abusing law enforcers, forcibly shutting down markets and attempting to kill to shopkeepers while rioting and damaging public property in Badin. Besides, they face similar cases in Karachi too.



On Saturday, Mirza appeared before the anti-terror judge, Bashir Ahmed Khoso. The judge supplied the copies of the all case related documents as a necessary procedure under Section 265 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

After providing the defence with documents, the judge adjourned the hearing of the case for further proceedings. Meanwhile, another court, ATC-III, also adjourned the hearing of similar cases against the accused.

Both the courts have fixed January 9 for indicting the suspects in the cases. After which the cases will formally enter the trial phase and witnesses will be examined.



Mirza after his court appearance talked to the media and criticised the government for allegedly facilitating former petroleum minister, Dr Asim Hussain. He said that the government was spending money to get Dr Asim out of the cases in fear that the trail will bring some other big names into the court.

He said that former president Asif Ali Zardari was not coming back for two reasons. "One of which is Dr Asim and the other is me," he claimed.

Once the cases against Dr Asim enter a compromising phase, then Zardari will return, claimed Mirza.