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KARACHI, Feb 10: An anti-terrorism court put off on Monday the hearing of a sectarian killing case against Akram Lahori, the chief of the banned Lashkar-i- Jhangvi, and two others as the accused failed to engage lawyer for their defence.
Judge Khan Pervaiz Chang of the ATC-4, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, had earlier ordered the accused to engage defence lawyer after Mohammed Ashraf Mughul, the pauper advocate, withdrew his power of attorney to defend them.
The accused informed the court that they could not arrange lawyer to defend them. The judge ordered the solicitor to provide a list of lawyers so that another pauper advocate could be appointed for the accused at state expenses.
Under the law, accused charged with an offence involving capital punishment must be represented by a lawyer. If accused fails to engage a lawyer himself, then court appoints a pauper advocate for him.
Lahori, Ataullah and Mohammed Azam are facing the charges of killing Agha Abbas, owner of a juice shop, at Nazimabad No 1 in the police limits of Rizvia Society on May 25 last year.
Lahori who was served with a show-cause notice for extending threats to the public prosecutor submitted his written reply to the court.
He stated that he had not extended any threat to the prosecutor, and that it was a misunderstanding on the part of the state lawyer.
Special public prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti had moved an application before the court, stating that the accused had threatened him with dire consequences in the open court.
The court fixed Feb 18 for the next hearing of the case, when the prosecutor would also give arguments on the reply of the accused.
HAQIQI MPA: Younus Khan, MPA of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, who is under arrest, was produced before a judicial magistrate in a case pertaining to violation of section 144 of CrPC in 1999.
JM Zabiha Khattak put off the hearing of the case to Feb 18 after the prosecution supplied the MPA with copies of the statements of prosecution witnesses.
The Haqiqi MPA was arrested on Dec 10 by the police for his alleged involvement in the murder of a cab driver. He was sent to judicial custody on Dec 24.
Party chief Afaq Ahmed and secretary-general Amir Khan are among the absconders in the case.
MAJOR ZARGHAM CASE: A judicial magistrate issued notices to five army officers and a lady medico-legal officer to record their statements in an inquiry into a direct complaint against the chief of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee and 19 others, including a senior superintendent of police, for involving an army officer in a Hudood case.
Magistrate Rahmatullah Moro ordered Lt-Col Ahmed Khan Joya, Lt-Co Ayaz Qaimkhani (retd), Col Ashfaq (retd), Major Arshad, Major Noor (retd) and Dr Farida to record their statements on Feb 20.
Major Mohammed Zargham Mirza had lodged a direct complaint before the judicial magistrate for registration of a criminal case against 20 respondents, including Jamil Yousuf and A. D. Khawaja, under sections 182, 500 and 506 of PPC.
According to the army officer, he was implicated in a false case by the respondents, who plotted a conspiracy to defame the Pakistan Army.
In his complaint, lodged with the permission of the 5th Corps, Major Mirza stated that on January 9, 2000 a woman, Saba Ibad, knocked at his door to make a phone call. She left the army officer’s house along with her cousin Hasan Abidi, the latter reached there after 20 minutes.
The major stated that the woman, with her cousin, again visited his house after two days, but he refused to help them any more and informed the CPLC.
He submitted that Saba, being followed by CPLC men, reached his house on Jan 13. He said the woman was moved to her parents with Shaheena Mehmood of the CPLC.
On the same day, Abaduddin, the woman’s father, lodged an FIR under section 11 of the Hudood Ordinance at Baloch Colony police station.
However, later the matter was taken up by a military court where the woman’s father deposed that he was forced to get the FIR lodged.
Those made respondent in the complaint included Zaeem Iqbal, ASP, Lubna Tiwana, then SHO of Women Police Station, Inspector Abdul Hakim Bangash, Azhar Ellahi and Sharf Memon.
