ATC summons more witnesses

Seven witnesses say cops forced them to sign statement implicating Zulfiqar Mirza

KARACHI:

A special anti-terrorism court summoned on Wednesday more witnesses at the next hearing of the cases against former minister Zulfiqar Mirza and others.

The ATC, hearing the cases at Karachi Central Jail, recorded the statements of seven eye witnesses.

When the government lawyer asked the witnesses if they could identify the accused present before the court, eight of the witnesses, including a police official, stated that they did not recognise Mirza.

Nor did they recognise any of the other accused – over 40 of whom were present at the hearing.

The witnesses maintained that they had been working in the market in Badin on the day when panic was allegedly caused in the market.

The former minister and others nominated in the case have been accused of vandalism and opening fire at the market in May 2015.

During the hearing, the prosecution lawyer contended that the witnesses had stated before the police that the accused present at the hearing had carried out vandalism in the market and attacked the police in Badin in May 2015.

However, the witnesses denied the lawyer's claim and stated that they did not make any such statement.

The police forced them to sign the statement, the witnesses told the court.

The witnesses further stated that there was no gun fire in the market on the day. They added that there was vandalism but not by any of the accused present in the court room.

The police official witness, Tariq, also stated that he could not locate Mirza and other accused to the incident. It had been five years now and he could no longer recall the accused, he said.

The court summoned more witnesses at the next hearing slated for February 15.