KARACHI: ATC puts off hearing in Frenchmen killing case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 21: An anti-terrorism court adjourned on Wednesday the hearing of the Frenchmen killing case against two workers of a banned religious outfit after recording statements of a prosecution witness.
Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti fixed May 23 for the next hearing after the statement by Hamid Ali, tapedar, who had prepared the sketch of the spot. The witness was also cross-examined by the defence counsel.
Defence counsel M R Syed and Gohar Iqbal also cross-examined the bomb disposal squad official, Agha Hussain Shah, who had earlier recorded his statement.
Accused Mohammed Asif Zaheer and Rizwanullah, who were allegedly trained in a camp belonging to the Harkat Jehad-i-Islami in Afghanistan, are facing charges of killing 11 French naval engineers and two Pakistanis in a suicide bomb attack last year.
The French engineers, who were helping Pakistan build its Agosta 90-B submarine, were killed when an explosive-laden vehicle hit their bus outside the Sheraton hotel.
Accused Asif Zaheer is being represented by M. R. Syed and special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum is appearing on behalf of the state.
The bus of the Pak Navy, carrying French engineers, was about to move in front of the Sheraton Hotel on the Club Road in the morning, when a car of red colour stopped beside the bus and blew up with a bang, also destroying it completely and causing damage to the shops located at the ground floor of the Pearl Continental and Sheraton Hotels.
The victims included Leclerc Jean Yves, Bled Cedric, Groux Pascal, Le Carpentier Daniel, Chevassut Jean Michel, Leconte Pascal, Drouet Claude, Dupont Bernard. A Pakistani woman was also among the dead.
MASSACRE CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC- 5 put off the hearing of the Mehmoodabad massacre case against the chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and three others after recording the deposition of two prosecution witnesses.
LJ chief Akram Lahori, Mohammed Azam, Attaullah and Malik Tasadduq were charged with killing six people and injuring five others in an attack on April 10, 2001, on Ali Murtaza Imambargah in Mehmoodabad.
The judge fixed May 23 for the next hearing after statements by SI Ghulam Nabi and Inspector Azizur Rahman, who were also cross-examined by the defence counsel.
Six faithful were killed and five injured when they were sprayed with bullets during Maghreb prayers.
