KARACHI, April 24: Three top leaders and two workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi, charged with hatching a plot to kill President Pervez Musharraf, denied on Thursday the charges as an anti-terrorism court formally indicted them in the case.

Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi of the ATC-1, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, fixed May 8 for recording the statements of the prosecution witnesses after the five defendants pleaded “not guilty” and decided to go on trial.

Aalmi chief Mohammed Imran, his deputy Mohammed Hanif, finance secretary Mohammed Ashraf, and workers Waseem Akhtar and Sharib, have been charged with hatching a conspiracy to blow up the president’s motorcade within the limits of Airport police.

According to the charge-sheet, the prosecution has cited nine prosecution witnesses and shown Habibullah Khattak, Mohammed Jamil, Mohammed Aamir and Kamran as absconders.

Imran, Hanif and Waseem Akhtar, a rangers inspector, allegedly disclosed to have made an abortive attempt on the life of the president in last April.

It was alleged that accused Habibullah Khattak, who was given Rs400,000 by the Aalmi leaders, brought explosives and other weapons in a truck from the upcountry.

Accused Jamil was allegedly given Rs85,000 for purchasing a Suzuki pick-up, which was laden with explosives. The explosive-laden vehicle was parked near a shop at the Falak Naz Arcade, and accused Kamran had the remote control to blow up the explosives.

It was alleged that accused Kamran, who had positioned himself at a petrol pump near Star Gate on Sharea Faisal, pushed the remote control button several times but the vehicle did not blow up.

The accused had allegedly rented out the shop in a fake name and accused Aamir used to sit in it.

According to the charge-sheet, accused Sharib had stuffed the vehicle with explosives, and accused Naved and Jamil allegedly assembled the explosive devise and its remote control.

It was alleged that the accused Rangers official had given information regarding the arrival of the president, and accused Mohammed Hanif, Imran, Jamil, Naveed, Aamir and Sharib had positioned themselves near the Awami Markaz to ascertain if the president’s motorcade had blown up.

According to prosecution, the Aalmi leaders during interrogation revealed that they wanted to kill President Musharraf for his anti-Taliban and pro-US policies.

Khawaja Naveed appeared for accused Ashraf, Abdul Waheed Katpur for accused Hanif, Maqboolur Rahman for Sharib and a junior to Kazi Ashraf appeared for Waseem Akhtar. The defence counsel for the Aalmi chief, however, did not turn up.

The Aalmi chief, his deputy were earlier on April 14 sentenced to death and two other party workers, including Sharib, to life terms by the same ATC for killing 12 people and injuring 43 others in a car bomb attack on the US consulate last year.