Four MQM ‘target killers’ acquitted by ATC

Witness identifies two suspects in cases pertaining to May 12 incident

An anti-terrorism court acquitted on Saturday four alleged Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) target killers in a murder case after the prosecution failed to prove them guilty.

The acquitted men included Shakeel alias Banarsi, Manzoor Alam, Afsar Zaidi and Adil alias Pagla.

Acquitting them, the court remarked that if they were not nominated in any other cases, they should be set free.

According to the police, the MQM-L workers had shot and killed a citizen, Faizur Rahman, in the Pakistan Bazar area in 2013. They were arrested on March 11, 2015, from the MQM headquarters at Nine Zero.

May 12 incident

Another ATC sought more witnesses at the next hearing of seven cases pertaining to the May 12 incident.

The accused, former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar and others, appeared in court, while a key witness for the prosecution identified two accused belonging to MQM in the courtroom.

Anti-Car Lifting Cell ASI Javed Abro told the ATC that accused MQM workers Salman and Nasir had engaged in vandalism and opened fire at citizens near the Karachi airport on May 12, 2007, on the orders of the MQM founder.

He informed the court that the accused were arrested in 2016 and had recorded their confessional statements to the police the same year.

ASI Abro claimed they had confessed to their involvement in killing citizens on the orders of the MQM founder and other party leaders.

The court adjourned the hearing after recording Abro's statement and summoned more witnesses at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2020.