Arshad Pappu case: Court accepts copy of missing document

Pappu was allegedly lynched by gang rivals in 2013 with his body chopped into pieces.


Our Correspondent April 12, 2015
Arshad Pappu was lynched to death in March, 2013. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID

KARACHI: The triple murder case of notorious gangster Arshad Pappu and his aides moved a step ahead after more than a month on Saturday. Anti-terrorism court (ATC) VII accepted a copy of a crucial prosecution document that had gone missing.

The original copy of the identification of the suspects had been reported missing in February by the prosecution lawyer who then pleaded the court to accept a copy of it. The defence counsel, however, objected to this and the matter was put on arguments.

Taking up the issue, the court on Saturday recorded the statement of a judicial magistrate, Nadim Badar Qazi, who had conducted the identification parade of the two key accused in April 2013 at a District South court.

The magistrate, now posted in Naushero Feroze, appeared before the ATC and contended that he did not remember the entire process of the hearing in question. He asked the court to check copies of the document dispatched to the relevant parties.

A copy of the document confirmed that a witness had identified two suspects, Zubair Baloch and Zakir alias Dada. The hearing, however, took about two hours as the defence attorneys cross-examined magistrate Qazi.

The ATC VII judge, Akhlaq Hussain Larik, after listening to both the sides, testified the magistrate's statement and accepted a copy of the missing document.

Six accused, namely Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Shahjehan Baloch, Abdur Rehman, Zubair Baloch, Zakir, and two police officers, Javed Baloch and Yusuf Baloch, were presented during the hearing. The judge adjourned the case until the next hearing on April 22 to record more evidence.

The murder

Pappu, his brother, Arafat, and an associate, Jumma Shera, were allegedly lynched to death in March 2013. According to the prosecution, they were abducted from a flat in Defence Housing Authority and taken to Lyari. The kidnappers shot them multiple times and chopped their bodies into pieces.

The absconders in the case include defunct Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair Jan Baloch, Baba Ladla and former Chakiwara SHO Chand Khan Niazi. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Pappu's widow.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2015.

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