Police witnesses fail to testify against Baloch

Police witnesses failed to testify against notorious gangster Uzair Baloch on Friday. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) was hearing cases pertaining to attack on police and attempted murder against Baloch.

Three witnesses and Baloch appeared before the court. However, when the witnesses were called upon to record their statements they could not be found in the courtroom.

After several calls for the witnesses, the hearing was adjourned and the investigation officer was directed to produce them before the court at the next hearing.

Baloch, chief of the now defunct Peoples Aman Committee, was arrested in 2006 from Mauripur district allegedly with Kalashnikovs in his possession. He is implicated in several cases pertaining to weapons, police encounters and others. In recent months he has been acquitted from around 20 such cases.

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Separately, another ATC heard the case pertaining to the killing of Intezar allegedly by AVLC officials. The counsels presented their final arguments till the hearing concluded. The court directed them to continue with their arguments at the next hearing.

According to police, 19-year-old Intezar was shot dead by Tariq Rahim, Tariq Mehmood, Azhar Ahsan and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2021.