ATC acquits MQM-P worker in murder case

Says there is not enough evidence against accused

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court acquitted Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) worker Muhammad Adnan alias AD alias Danish on Saturday in a murder case due to the absence of evidence.

The case was heard before ATC no16 in Central Jail Karachi.

Defence counsel, advocate Muhammad Imran Mayo, maintained that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against his client. He argued that the police could not present any concrete evidence before the court. “The murder case was registered against identified men and my client’s name was added in 2016,” he said.

According to police, Islamauddin was murdered on November 5, 2011, and found dead in the jurisdiction of Garden Police Station. Police claimed that Adnan confessed to committing the murder after his arrest in 2016.

ATC acquits second suspect of Maulana Azam Tariq murder case

Media house attack

Another ATC recorded the statement of the petitioner in the cases against MQM-P leaders and others pertaining to anti-state slogans, attack on media house, damage to state property and terrorism.

Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Shahid Pasha, Qamar Mansoor, Gulfaraz Khattak and others appeared before the court. The petitioner, police officer Abdul Ghaffar, recorded his statement before the court.

Ghaffar said that the accused attacked a private media house on August 22 and opened fire at the gates of the media house to break them open. One of their workers was killed by their own firing.

The investigation officer (IO) submitted the case property before the court which included a burnt Suzuki pickup truck, a motorcycle, and other items.

Sindh Police allegedly pay blood money for prisoner’s murder

The counsels for the accused will cross-examine the petitioner’s statement.

The court adjourned the hearing till November 23.

According to police, Ghaffar was deputed as the SHO at Artillery Maidan Police Station at the time of the incident. Two cases were registered against the accused in Artillery Maidan Police Station on behalf of the state. The court had declared MQM founder and seven other accused absconders in the case. A man died and several others were injured by vandalism of the MQM workers on August 22, 2016. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2019.