ATCs hear cases of May 12 incidents and Baldia factory fire

Defence lawyers told to come prepared on next hearing


Our Correspondent May 05, 2019
PHOTO: anheimblog

KARACHI: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) hearing seven cases relating to May 12 incidents on Saturday ordered the defence lawyers to appear on the next hearing with full preparations.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and other accused appeared before the court in Karachi jail.  The court gave extension to the lawyers for preparation and adjourned the hearing till May 11.

Waseem Akhter and other accused have been indicted in the cases and 14 accused on the run have already been declared as absconders by the court. The cases against the accused were registered at Airport and other police stations.

On May 12, 2007, dozens of people were killed and over 150 injured as rival political groups clashed with each other soon on the arrival of the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The cases of violence, killings and rioting were registered at various police stations in the city.

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Statement recorded

Ishtiaq Ahmed, father of deceased Intezar, recorded his statement in the special ATC in his son's murder case. The petitioner said in his statement that the joint investigation team (JIT) headed by Sanaullah Abbasi had declared the police officials as the murderers.

Ishtiaq Ahmed who appeared before the court with his counsel Advocate Salahuddin Panhwar, said in his statement, "My son went outside the house after asking for money to eat a burger, but we received his dead body in the evening. My son has been killed by Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) officials in a pre-planned way. The CCTV footage is the evidence for this." He said that the police tried initially to cover-up the ACLC officials involved in the incident but the JIT headed by Sanaullah Abbasi declared the police officials responsible for Intezar's murder therefore the accused should be punished.

The court adjourned the hearing till May 20 and sought further witnesses. Eight ACLC officials have been arrested in the case.

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Baldia factory case

Another witness who introduced the Baldia factory owners to Ali Hassan Qadri recorded his statement before the special ATC. Court summoned further witnesses on the next hearing.

The accused Zubair alias Chariya and Rehman alias Bhola were presented by the jail officials before the court. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Rauf Siddiqui and others also appeared in the court.

Special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Sheikh produced the witness before the court. The investigation officers, Inspector Jahanzeb and Inspector Raja Jahangir, also appeared in the court.

The court summoned further witnesses while adjourning the hearing till May 6. More than 250 people died when Baldia factory was put on fire over non-payment of extortion money.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2019.

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