Court to indict Uzair Baloch in murder case

Will also resume proceedings of another 54 cases registered against him

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court fixed on Tuesday the date for issuing an amended indictment against Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baloch in Arshad Pappu murder case, as well as gave the approval for resuming the proceedings of another 54 cases registered against him. The court also issued his production order.

During a hearing at Central Jail, Karachi, jails officials submitted a report to the court, praying the court to resume proceedings of the cases registered against Baloch.

According to the report, Baloch's custody has been handed over to the officials at Central Jail, Karachi and the proceedings of 54 cases against the accused were stalled due to his absence. The jail officials moved the court to resume the halted proceedings and fix the dates for the hearings of the cases.

Accepting their request, the court gave the approval for resuming the proceedings and issued his production orders in all cases. Besides, the court fixed the date for issuing an amended indictment against him in Arshad Pappu murder case.

Baloch was arrested in 2016 and was later handed over to the Pakistan Army, under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act, 1923. He is booked in 54 cases besides that of Arshad Pappu's murder and has confessed to the crimes he was accused of committing.

Bail pleas

The court also sought arguments from the special public prosecutor and other parties on the bail pleas of 25 Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) members accused of target killing. The bail pleas maintain that there is a risk of a COVID-19 outbreak in jails and on these grounds the court is moved to grant bails to the accused.

During the hearing of the pleas, the special public prosecutor maintained that the accused were arrested by Rangers during a raid at MQM headquarters Nine-Zero. Rangers also seized weapons, ammunition and explosives during the raid, he said.

The prosecutor added that the accused were facing trial in multiple cases of target killings and the Supreme Court had barred the high court from granting bails to under trial prisons on grounds of COVID-19 threats.

According to the prosecutor, the accused have been denied bail by the Sindh High Court and anti-terrorism court earlier.

The court directed the special public prosecutor and other parties to present their arguments on the bail pleas at the next hearing on April 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2020.