Declaring police encounter ‘fake’, ATC acquits three men

Court also restricted the involved police officers from participating in any police operations

KARACHI: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) declared a police encounter 'fake' on Saturday and ordered Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon to submit a report within 15 days, after taking action against police officials involved in the incident.

ATC-12 issued the directives during the hearing of a case pertaining to an alleged police encounter and an attempted murder at Karachi Central Jail. The police had arrested Sharifullah, Zia Bajori and Ayub Khan, suspected to be drug peddlers, after the encounter, which took place in January 2017.

The court, however, declared the encounter fake and acquitted the accused men. The bench stated that the police had failed to provide any evidence about the encounter in question, which proved that it was fake.

It asked Memon to take action against the PIB police officials who were involved and submit a progress report in 15 days. Moreover, the ATC restricted the police officials involved in the encounter from participating in police operations.

ATC summons Rangers' witness

An ATC sought the presence of the Rangers' witness, SI Qamar Zaman, at the next hearing of a case pertaining to facilitating terrorists, nominating Dr Asim Hussain and others.

The counsels of the accused cross-examined the statement of the petitioner, Rangers superintendent Inayatullah Durrani, who claimed that hospital administration had tampered with the data of some terrorists. Specifically, he said, the ages and other details of Sheeraz Comrade and Imran Niazi had been altered.

He also claimed that Al Qaeda member Talha, who was killed in a Rangers encounter, had also been treated at Ziauddin Hospital.

After the counsels completed Durrani's cross-examination, the court adjourned the hearing till March 28 and summoned Zaman on the next hearing.

Hate speech case

Separately, an ATC adjourned the hearing of a hate speech case against former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar, because the judge was on leave.

According to the defence lawyer, Sattar had attended a protest against the expulsion of Pakistan Quarters residents as a public representative.

The court adjourned the hearing till March 16. The ATC also adjourned the hearing of 27 hate speech cases against the MQM founder without any proceeding till March 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2020.