KARACHI, Feb 25: The hearing of an appeal filed by two convicts/appellants in the murder case of three ulema of Jamia Farooqia, Shah Faisal Town, began on Tuesday before an anti- terrorism appellate bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Wahid Bux Brohi.

Syed Iqtidar Ali Hashmi, counsel for the appellants/convicts, Ali Raza alias Ali and Kazim Zaidi, submitted initial arguments while reading excerpts from the deposition of the prosecution witnesses. He was on his feet when the court time exhausted and the bench put off further hearing till March 4.

According to the prosecution, on Jan 28, 2003, at about 7:50am the accused intercepted a van of Jamia Farooqia and opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle, killing Maulana Inayatullah, Maulana Hameedur Rehman, Mufti M. Iqbal, Hafiz Talha Iqbal and driver Abdul Hameed.

Dr Abdul Rehman of the Jamia lodged an FIR, alleging that Ali, Hasan Akhtar, Kazim Zaidi and Rizwan alias Abu Hashim were involved in the killings.

Later, the accused were arrested while they attempted to kill Maulana Allah Wasayo and were sent for trial in the instant case.

Police at one stage submitted a report under section 497 (2) of the CrPC, exonerating the accused, but the administrative judge of the Anti-terrorism Courts rejected the application and ordered that the accused be put to an identification parade by two eyewitnesses — Mohammed Siddiq and Mohammed Shafiq.

The present appellants/convicts were tried and sentenced to death by the ATC-IV. The appellants then preferred the present appeal.

ABDUCTION CASE: Two prosecution witnesses were examined on Tuesday by Arshad Noor Khan, judge Anti-terrorism Court (ATC-I), in an abduction-for-ransom case against Sohail alias Commando, an alleged activist of the MQM (A); Adeel, Nauman and Huma alias Bano.