April 3, 2002	Wednesday	Muharram 19,1423

KARACHI, April 2: An eye-witness identified on Tuesday before an anti-terrorism court a worker of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba of Pakistan as one of the culprits involved in a sectarian killing.

Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi of the ATC-1 adjourned till Wednesday the hearing of the case against Dildar alias Dilawar after the deposition of eye-witness Mujeebur Rahman.

The religious party worker is being tried for murdering Sardar Ali Jafferi on May 15, 2001 in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

According to the eye-witness, a rickshaw driver, he was having a cup of tea at a roadside stall when the culprits opened fire on the victim, who was on his way on a bike.

Defence counsel M. R. Syed also cross-examined the prosecution witness.

The statment of the investigation officer would be recorded on Wednesday.

CASE AGAINST TJP MEN: Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of ATC-2 heard the partial arguments by the defence attorney of two activists of the Tehrik-i-Jafferia Pakistan, facing charges of murdering two SSP workers in an attack.

The two SSP activists — Muhammed Iqbal and Abdullah — were killed and seven others wounded when their vehicle was fired upon on October 22, last year. The victims were returning from a party rally.

Later, two TJP workers, Syed Muhammed Qasim and Hasan Ali, were arrested by the Site police. Five others, including Allama Hasan Turrabi, Mirza Yousuf and Asif, were shown absconders in the final charge-sheet.

The judge adjourned the hearing of the case till Wednesday when the defence counsel resumes his arguments.

Earlier on January 8, the ATC-2, then headed by Judge Abdul Hamid Abro, had declared the provincial chief of the Tehrik-i- Jafferia Pakistan and four others as proclaimed offenders in a double murder case. The court also ordered the attachment of the entire movable and immovable properties of the absconding accused.

FIVE MURDER CASES: The prosecution closed its side in five murder cases against three workers of the Sipah-i- Sahaba Pakistan before the ATC-3.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan put off the hearing of the cases till Wednesday when the accused persons — Mufti Muhammed Shahid Hanif, Muhammed Talha alias Noman and Khalil Ahmed — would record their statements.

The three are being tried for killing five people, all belonging to a rival sect, in different parts of the city in separate attacks.

One of the cases pertained to the killing of Altaf Hussain, a divisional engineer of the Pakistan Telecommunications Limited, on Feb 19 in the limits of the PIB Colony police. The victim was being driven to his office in his official car when ambushed.

Another case pertained to the killing of Syed Zafar Hussain, director, research and technology centre, ministry of defence, on July 7, 2001 in the limits of th Gulbhar police.

The third case was registered by the Gulberg police for killing Syed Ali Hasnain Naqvi on Sept 4, last year.