Militant handed 12 years in prison

Court accepts police report about the death of gangster Baba Ladla in encounter

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced on Saturday a member of the Haqqani networks to 12.5 years imprisonment.

ATC-12 was hearing a case pertaining to the financial assistance of terrorist organisations at Karachi Central Jail.

The court sentenced the accused, Syed Zia Hussain Shah, to 12.5 years in prison, along with a fine of Rs70,000.

According to the investigation officer (IO), Shah had been arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department police in Ittehad Town. He added that the accused had been collecting funds for the Haqqani network and was previously arrested by American forces in Afghanistan as well,

Cases against Uzair Baloch

Separately, an ATC accepted the police report pertaining to the death of Lyari gangster Baba Ladla, who was killed in a law enforcement operation in 2017, and adjourned the hearing of eight cases, including that of Arshad Pappu's murder, against notorious gang leader Uzair Baloch.

Baloch was presented in court by jail officials, while others accused in the cases also appeared before the court.

The police presented a report pertaining to the killing of Ladla, who was also accused in the cases.

"If Ladla was killed in 2017, why was the report on his death not presented earlier and why did the trial of the cases not proceed during this period?" inquired the court.

The IO, Yamin Gujjar, informed the court that there had been no hearings of the cases after 2014.

When the court asked when Baloch had been arrested, Gujjar said this had taken place in 2017 as well.

Baloch's counsel, Abid Zaman, maintained that the case hearings had been suspended after his client was handed over to the army.

The court accepted the report and adjourned the hearing till August 10.

The ATC was to issue an amended indictment to Baloch and other accused in the hearing, but the indictment will now be issued at the next hearing.

In another hearing, an ATC adjourned the hearing of a case against Baloch, pertaining to the murder of two Rangers officials, until August 3.

Baloch had reportedly murdered the officials, Aijaz and Munir, and dumped their bodies in Mewa Shah graveyard.

Meanwhile, an ATC granted Baloch permission to meet his family.

Zaman submitted the plea, stating that Baloch had been shifted to Mitha Ram Hostel, a sub-jail run by the Rangers, and wanted to meet his family there.

Dua Mangi case

Separately, an ATC adjourned the hearing of the Dua Mangi kidnapping case without proceeding due to the absence of the case file.

The court expressed annoyance at the IO for failing to present the case file and adjourned the hearing until July 30.

According to the police, Mangi was kidnapped by armed men in Defence Housing Authority in November, 2019.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2020.