Akram Lahori case: Hearing in murder trial scheduled for July 19

KARACHI:

The prosecution closed its side of a sectarian killing case being heard by the Anti-Terrorism Court-III on Thursday.

The accused in the case are noted Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activists Mohammad Ajmal aka Akram Lahori and Ataullah, who have been charged and sentenced in several other cases of sectarian attacks.

The 2002 case deals with an alleged murder of a property dealer and was registered in North Nazimabad. The next step in the case will be the statement of the accused and the arguments of the defence.

The case is being heard in the Central Jail and the next hearing is scheduled for July 19. Ataullah and his accomplice Mohammad Azam were recently granted a short reprieve from their scheduled executions after the presidency stayed their black warrants till September 30.

The men are co-accused with Akram Lahori in other sectarian motivated cases as well. Akram Lahori, Ataullah and Mohammad Azam were also scheduled to give testimony in a case dating to 2002, however that did not proceed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2012.