ATC adjourns hearing of cases against former home minister

Provincial minister, others are accused in four cases pertaining to vandalism

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) adjourned on Saturday the hearing of four cases against former provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and other accused as the judge was on leave.

Mirza and other accused appeared before the court. The hearing couldn't proceed due to the judge's leave.

The court adjourned hearing till August 17.

According to police, four cases against the accused are under trial. Mirza and his accomplices have been indicted. The cases pertaining to vandalism, other charges, were registered in different police stations of Badin.

Dr Asim case

Another ATC granted the defence counsels' request for extension and adjourned hearing of the case against Dr Asim Hussain pertaining to facilitation of terrorists.

Dr Asim and other accused, including Anis Qaimkhani, Qadir Patel and Rauf Siddiqui appeared before the court. The plea for exemption from appearance in court was filed on behalf of Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter and Usman Muazzam and the court accepted it. The counsels for the accused asked the court to grant more time for the cross-examination of statements given by the witness judge and the petitioner of the case.

The court accepted the counsels' request and adjourned hearing till August 24.

Plea rejected

Meanwhile, another ATC dismissed the bail pleas filed by three accused in Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's (MQM-P) leader Ali Raza Abidi's murder case.

The court heard the bail pleas of accused, Abu Bakar, Muhammad Gazaali and Farooq. The court remarked that there was evidence available against the accused that they were facilitators in the murder.

The court rejected the pleas.  Former lawmaker and MQM-P leader Abidi was assassinated by armed men outside his house on December 25, 2018.

*With additional input from PPI 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2019.