Qureshi was killed on May 29 during a raid by the Anti-Violent Crimes Cell and Citizens-Police Liaison Committee in Hyderabad to rescue him. He had been abducted from Karachi and had been in captivity for 17 days before the raid.
The investigating officer in the case supplied copies of the First Information Report and a witness statement to the court on Friday. Seven men have been accused of the murder, including Dr Ashok Kumar, Farooq Ahmed Leghari, Imdad Ali Solangi, Haut Khan, Abdul Aziz Barejo, Azhar Ali Solangi and Irfat Jan. One of the statements in the case names Imdad Ali Solangi and Azhar Ali Solangi as being with Dr Aftab Qureshi when he was kidnapped from outside Taj Medical Centre in Karachi. It also states that the kidnappers had allegedly asked for Rs100 million as ransom and had threatened to kill Dr Qureshi and leave his body in a bag if it was not paid.
The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants for four men who have absconded - Dr Daud alias Advocate, Zainul Abedin alias Zain alias Professor, Ghulam Ali alias Ghulam Nabi and Akhtar alias Bhaijaan.
The First Information Report 130/2012 was registered at the Brigade police stations under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code that include offences for kidnapping and murder. The case was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Court-III since the Brigade police station falls under its jurisdiction.
A separate case is also ongoing at the civil court in Hyderabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2012.
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