Court defers indictment due to absence of suspect

Dismisses the plea of four suspects due to no-confidence

KARACHI: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) deferred indictment due to the absence of one suspect in two cases of the May 12 carnage. The court dismissed the plea of four suspects due to no-confidence. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and 19 other suspects appeared before the court. The counsel for the suspect said that Zulfiqar was under treatment at a cardiac hospital and cannot appear before the court. The court adjourned the hearing till December 12. The suspects are likely to be indicted at the next hearing.

Meanwhile, other suspects, Farhatullah, Zakir, Zafar and Abbas, affiliated with the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), filed a petition expressing their no-confidence in the court. The suspects maintained that they do not expect justice from the court. The ATC while dismissing the petition remarked that they should approach the High Court if they don't have confidence in the court.



Final deadline

An ATC gave the final deadline of December 1 to the prosecutor to present the joint-investigation team (JIT) report of Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker Muhammad Rehan who is accused of a murder. Accused Rehan was presented in the court. The JIT report was not presented despite court's order. Public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Sheikh once again sought time to approach the concerned institution. Sheikh observed that Rangers' high officials are in contact with the interior ministry regarding this matter and the original JIT report will be presented soon. The court gave Sheikh the final deadline of December 1. Statements of 12 witnesses, including a civil judge, have been recorded in this case. According to police, the accused and his accomplices killed Ziarat Gul by opening fire on him at Noorani Hotel, Sector 1/11, Surjani town. The case against the accused was registered on January 16, 2011 in Surjani town.

Amal Umer case

A special ATC gave the defence lawyer time till November 29 for preparation in Amal Umer murder case. Jail authorities presented accused Khalid before the court.  Witnesses in the case, sub-inspector Dildar Ali Abbasi, Constable Babar Shehzad and Muhammad Javed, also appeared before the court. The lawyer for the accused submitted power of attorney. The defence lawyer requested for time to study the case file. Accepting the request, court adjourned the hearing till November 29. According to police, the accused confessed to seven more incidents of robbery. The accused was arrested after a police encounter in which his accomplice Shehzad was killed on the spot. Amal Umer's murder case is registered against two police officers.



Recovery of weapons

An ATC, while announcing the verdict in a case of recovery of weapons and explosive material from Go Aish Entertainment Park, awarded 24-years imprisonment to MQM-Pakistan Union Committee in-charge Nauman Khan. The accused has been sentenced a combined 24-years imprisonment in two cases - 10 years for possessing weapons and 14 for explosive materials. The lawyer for the accused, Advocate Abidul Zaman, after the announcement of the verdict said that the weapons and explosive material recovered hasn't been presented and yet the sentence has been finalised. Zaman said that they will challenge the decision in the high court. According to the police, Go Aish Park was raided and a cache of weapons as well as explosive materials were recovered in huge quantity. MQM's Inbisaat Malik has been adjudged as proclaimed offender in the case. Cases were registered against the accused in Gulistan-e-Jauhar in 2017. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2018.