ATC to indict accused in Justice Baqar attack case on Feb 15
Anti-terrorism court seeks CCTV footage of intelligence officer's murder in another case
Representational image. PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) set on Saturday February 15 as the date for indicting the accused involved in the attack on Supreme Court Justice Maqbool Baqar.
The accused, including Masoom Bala alias Abu Bakr, Muhammad Mawia and Yasir Arafat alias Moosa, all three belonging to a banned outfit, were presented before ATC no.6 that was hearing the case.
Announcing that the accused would be indicted at the next hearing on February 15, the court adjourned the hearing.
According to police, the June 26 bomb attack on Justice Baqar killed nine people, including Rangers and police officials, and injured 21 others. Justice Baqar had survived the blast with some injuries.
Dual murder case
Meanwhile, an ATC ordered the investigation officer (IO) of a dual murder case to present before the court accused on the run at the next hearing.
The court issued the order at Central Jail, Karachi, while hearing a case pertaining to the murder of two police officials.
At the hearing, one of the accused, Mirza Umar, arrested by the police, was not presented before the court, with jail officials citing "security risks."
Moreover, the jail officials also failed to submit the notification of the transfer of the case to jail trial to the court. Irked by this, the court sought reply from jail officials on their failure to submit the notification by February 21.
Concluding the hearing, the court ordered the IO to present the accused on the run, Shaikh Moin and Areeb Hussain, at the next hearing.
It had directed to block the CNICs of the accused in the case at an earlier hearing.
According to police, intelligence agencies found the involvement of members of a banned outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, in the murder.
The murdered officials, Allah Dino and Ahmed Ali, were shot dead by two men in Orangi Town on June 17, 2019. Later, Umar was arrested and confessed to his involvement in the offence, also revealing that five others were involved in the murder, the police said.
CCTV footage sought
In another case, pertaining to the murder of an intelligence officer, Major Saqib, an ATC sought CCTV footage of the incident.
At the hearing, the arrested accused, including Noman alias Maro and Farooq alias Babu, were presented before the court. However, the police failed to produce the evidence of their involvement in the murder.
According to the final challan of the case, submitted by the IO to court, neither criminal record of the arrested accused and nor any evidence proving them guilty of the crime, except for their confessional statement and them being able to identify the place of the incident, was found.
The court sought the CCTV footage of the incident, ordering that it should be presented at the next hearing on February 14.
It will also record the IO's statement at the next hearing.
According to police, the accused shot Saqib outside an ATM chamber, during a robbery bid, on June 6, 2019. The police have also submitted a report to the court, requesting that the case be declared A-class.
Besides being charged with murder, the accused have been booked in a case pertaining to the possession of ammunition and illegal weapons.
Cross-examination completed
At another hearing, the counsel for the accused completed the cross-examination of the IO's statement, given in connection to four cases registered in Kario Ghanwar against former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and others.
Mirza and other accused appeared before the court.
Following the completion of the cross-examination of the IO's statement, the court adjourned the hearing of the cases till February 29.
According to police, the accused have been charged with vandalism and other offences.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) set on Saturday February 15 as the date for indicting the accused involved in the attack on Supreme Court Justice Maqbool Baqar.
The accused, including Masoom Bala alias Abu Bakr, Muhammad Mawia and Yasir Arafat alias Moosa, all three belonging to a banned outfit, were presented before ATC no.6 that was hearing the case.
Announcing that the accused would be indicted at the next hearing on February 15, the court adjourned the hearing.
According to police, the June 26 bomb attack on Justice Baqar killed nine people, including Rangers and police officials, and injured 21 others. Justice Baqar had survived the blast with some injuries.
Dual murder case
Meanwhile, an ATC ordered the investigation officer (IO) of a dual murder case to present before the court accused on the run at the next hearing.
The court issued the order at Central Jail, Karachi, while hearing a case pertaining to the murder of two police officials.
At the hearing, one of the accused, Mirza Umar, arrested by the police, was not presented before the court, with jail officials citing "security risks."
Moreover, the jail officials also failed to submit the notification of the transfer of the case to jail trial to the court. Irked by this, the court sought reply from jail officials on their failure to submit the notification by February 21.
Concluding the hearing, the court ordered the IO to present the accused on the run, Shaikh Moin and Areeb Hussain, at the next hearing.
It had directed to block the CNICs of the accused in the case at an earlier hearing.
According to police, intelligence agencies found the involvement of members of a banned outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, in the murder.
The murdered officials, Allah Dino and Ahmed Ali, were shot dead by two men in Orangi Town on June 17, 2019. Later, Umar was arrested and confessed to his involvement in the offence, also revealing that five others were involved in the murder, the police said.
CCTV footage sought
In another case, pertaining to the murder of an intelligence officer, Major Saqib, an ATC sought CCTV footage of the incident.
At the hearing, the arrested accused, including Noman alias Maro and Farooq alias Babu, were presented before the court. However, the police failed to produce the evidence of their involvement in the murder.
According to the final challan of the case, submitted by the IO to court, neither criminal record of the arrested accused and nor any evidence proving them guilty of the crime, except for their confessional statement and them being able to identify the place of the incident, was found.
The court sought the CCTV footage of the incident, ordering that it should be presented at the next hearing on February 14.
It will also record the IO's statement at the next hearing.
According to police, the accused shot Saqib outside an ATM chamber, during a robbery bid, on June 6, 2019. The police have also submitted a report to the court, requesting that the case be declared A-class.
Besides being charged with murder, the accused have been booked in a case pertaining to the possession of ammunition and illegal weapons.
Cross-examination completed
At another hearing, the counsel for the accused completed the cross-examination of the IO's statement, given in connection to four cases registered in Kario Ghanwar against former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and others.
Mirza and other accused appeared before the court.
Following the completion of the cross-examination of the IO's statement, the court adjourned the hearing of the cases till February 29.
According to police, the accused have been charged with vandalism and other offences.