In court: ATC rejects bail for eight suspects

Political party workers are being tried in an arson and double murder case.

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday rejected the bail pleas of eight political party workers in an arson and double murder case.

ATC-V judge Javed Alam dismissed the post-arrested bail applications of Iftikhar Ahmed, Jabbar Zafar, Irfan, Abdul Subhan, Mohsin, Abul Bashar, Sharafat Sharif Bengali and Nadeem during a jail trial held in Karachi Central Prison.

The suspects, along with 11 others, have been charged with allegedly attacking the house of Sindh Dost Party leader Ashiq Chandio in Chakra Goth, Korangi, in August 2011.

According to the prosecution, at least 50 armed men, including the arrested suspects, stormed Chandio's house, kidnapped his nephew Shehzad and killed Muhammad Hasan and Muhammad Suleman. Five others, namely Rizwan, Babar, Sikandar, Bashar and Muhammad Arib, were injured in the gunfire. The assailants also torched vehicles.

An FIR was registered at the Zaman Town police station on Chandio's complaint under Sections 147, 148, 149, 427, 435, 324, 302, 365 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The suspects were indicted by the same court in September 2014. The next hearing will be held on February 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.