KARACHI, July 29: Justice Shabbir Ahmed of the Sindh High Court on Monday turned down police’s request on technical grounds for accepting challan of Akram Lahori and others in the murder case of interior minister’s brother.
Police had based their case on the premise that the accused, during interrogation had accepted that they had knowingly killed Ehteshamuddin Haider, brother of the interior minister, Moinuddin Haider.
But Justice Shabbir, who is also the administrative judge of Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) for Karachi, according to AAG Habib Ahmed, maintained that this was not the case of ATC and Section 7 was applied on the basis of the statement of the accused before the police. He wondered where the motive was.
Justice Ahmed directed the police to submit the challan in a district court because such a statement was not admisable under Article 38 of Qanoon-i-Shahdat.
Justice Ahmed extended date for submission of challan in murder case of Shaukat Mirza, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil until Aug 3.
The investigating officer had sought time on the premise that one of the absconding accused Fahim Ahmed Khan, an employee of PSO, was being tracked down.
Police claimed that Fahim had allegedly provided address and photograph of the deceased to Akram Lahori, Azam and Ata, all workers of the proscribed militant outfit of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.
Justice Ahmed also extended time for the submission of challan against accused Muhammed Imran, Muhammed Hanif, Inspector Waseem of Pakistan Rangers and Muhammed Ashraf until third of next month in the case of bomb explosion outside the US consulate and an earlier abortive attempt to kill President General Pervez Musharraf.
AAG Habib Ahmed had submitted that the investigation officer had informed that accused Ashraf had been sent to jail by Judicial Magistrate, Malir, after his confessional statment was recorded before the court.
DETENTION CASE: A division bench of the SHC adjourned hearing of a constitutional petition through which detention of Zubair Khawaja in the suicide bombing attack on the US Consulate here has been challenged.
Justice Ataur Rahman and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali adjourned the matter to Aug 6 at the request of Additional Advocate General Abbas Ali, who had sought time for seeking instructions.
Petitioner Lt-Col (retd) Khawaja Waheed has contended in the petitioner that his son Zubair Khawaja was picked up by police on 27 June but has not yet been produced before any court of law nor his whereabouts were being divulged.
Qazi Bashir advocate, who held the brief for Khawaja Naveed Ahmed advocate submitted that in fact Naveed Khawaja, brother of detenue was wanted by the police in connection with US consulate bombing case.
Another bench of SHC comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Musheer Alam adjourned hearing of a constitutional petition filed by Mst Shehzada Begum, sister of alleged detenue Muhammed Faisal Bhatti of Laskhar-i-Jhangvi.
