Shershah scrap market case: Witnesses identify two accused men

Nawaz Ali Magsi not identified as perpetrator.

KARACHI: Two witnesses of the Shershah scrap market shooting identified two of the accused men before the judicial magistrate in an identification parade held inside Central Prison on Friday.

A and S identified Aslam Pervez and Shafi Muhammad as the perpetrators but they failed to identify the third accused in the case, Nawaz Ali Magsi.

The identification was held after the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court for Karachi Division, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, allowed a request by the prosecution to identify the accused. The move came after the administrative judge ordered the release of nine accused men as the complainant failed to identify them when they were produced for a second physical remand.

In a bid to save the case, the prosecution moved an application stating that seven more witnesses had come forward and so an identification parade was necessary.

On October 19, 2010, 13 workers and owners of shops in the Shershah scrap market were killed when gunmen on motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire. Six shopkeepers were injured.

An FIR was registered on October 20, 2010 on the basis of a written statement from Nafees. The Gulbahar police first arrested Lal Muhammad Magsi and later nominated Aslam Pervez, Shafi Muhammad and Nawaz Magsi. The current men accused in the case voluntarily surrendered on January 11. Meanwhile, Hameed alias Mulla Raju, Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla and Rashid are still absconding.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.