KARACHI: Witness examined in Frenchmen killing case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 6: An anti-terrorism court put off on Friday the hearing of the Frenchmen killing case as one of the defence counsel continued the cross-examination of the last witness of the prosecution.
Judge Feroze Mahmood Bhatti of the ATC-2, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, fixed June 9 for the next hearing when defence counsel M. R. Syed would complete the cross- examination of Inspector Mohammed Tariq, the investigation officer of the case.
Mohammed Asif Zaheer and Rizwanullah, who were allegedly trained in a camp belonging to Harkat Jehad-i-Islami in Afghanistan, are facing the 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.
MEHMOODABAD CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC- 5 adjourned the hearing of the Mehmoodabad multiple killing case against the chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and three others after the defence counsel completed the cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness.
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, who is conducting the trial inside the juvenile jail, fixed June 9 for the next hearing after the cross- examination of Inspector Anees by the defence counsel.
Six faithfuls were killed and five injured when they were sprayed with volleys of bullets during Maghreb prayers.
BAIL GRANTED: The district and sessions judge, Mohammed Jawaid Alam, granted pre-arrest bail to 14 people, including two councillors of the Orangi Town, in a case pertaining to the burning of the office of the Nazim of the UC-5.
The case against the councillors, Mansoor Siddiqui and Mumtaz Khan, and 12 others was registered four days ago by the Orangi Extension police for burning the office of Raees Kazmi.
According to the FIR, a group of people attacked the office of the nazim in protest against the shortage of water in the vicinity.
The judge gave the suspects bail in the sum of Rs50,000 each.
