KARACHI, April 10: An anti-terrorism court acquitted, on Wednesday, the provincial chief of the banned Tehrik-i-Jaffaria Pakistan and six other workers in a sectarian killing case.

Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon of ATC-2 exonerated all accused persons of the charges due to defective investigation and material contradictions in the case of prosecution.

Out of the seven accused, five including Allama Hasan Turrabi and Mirza Yousuf were acquitted in absentia, as they were shown as absconding accused in the police charge-sheet.

Two TJP workers — Syed Muhammad Qasim and Hasan Ali — were in custody and tried with the absconders for the murder of two workers of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan.

The SSP activists — Muhammad Iqbal and Abdullah — were killed and seven others wounded when their vehicle was fired upon on Oct 22, last year. The victims were on their way home after attending a party rally.

Later, Syed Muhammad Qasim and Hasan Ali, represented by Syed Tasawwar Husain Rizvi, were arrested by the Site police. Five others, including Allama Hasan Turrabi, Mirza Yousuf and Asif were shown as absconders in the final charge-sheet. Earlier, on Jan 8, the ATC-2, then headed by Judge Abdul Hamid Abro, had declared the provincial TJP chief and four others as proclaimed offenders in the case.