ATC grants bail to ‘con artists’

Cops say accused impersonated intelligence officials to extort money

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted bail on Friday to two alleged con artists accused of swindling people by masquerading as personnel of intelligence agencies.

The ATC was hearing the case against the accused, Asad Abbas and Qamar Siddiqui, at Karachi Central Jail.

The defence counsel argued that his clients were not present at the site at the time of the alleged crime. He maintained that call data records (CDR) show Abbas in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, and Siddiqui in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, at the time of the incident.

The court accepted the bail pleas of the accused against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

The police claim the accused pretended to be intelligence officials to extort money from citizens. The case against them was lodged at Sharafi Goth Police Station on the complaint of a man named Sameer Baloch and another suspect, Qayyum, nominated in the FIR has acquired bail.

Absent prosecutor, accused

Meanwhile, an ATC the accused and the witnesses in a case pertaining to facilitating terrorists to ensure their presence at the next hearing.

The Pakistan Rangers' prosecutor and witnesses did not appear for the hearing of the case against former advisor to the prime minister on oil and natural resources and former Pakistan Peoples Party senator Dr. Asim Hussain, former Karachi mayor and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Wasim Akhtar, MQM-P leader Rauf Siddiqui, Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani and others.

Akhtar, Siddiqui and Kaimkhani appeared before the court while Qadir Patel, Usman Muazzam and Dr. Asim could not appear before the court.

The counsels of the absent accused sought exemption from the court stating that Dr. Asim and Patel were in Islamabad and Muazzam was ill.

The court accepted their request and directed the witnesses and accused to ensure their presence at the next hearing slated for March 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2021.