KARACHI, Sept 13: Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi of anti-terrorism court (ATC-I), on Saturday, dismissed miscellaneous application filed by defence counsel praying to call President Musharraf as witness in the conspiracy case to assassinate the president against activists of the banned organization Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi.

However, the court issued notices to other respondents, including incharge telegraph office of Nazimabad, SHO airport police station, pilot escorting president’s convey, named for calling as witness by defence side for Sept 20. The mother and brother of accused Muhammad Hanif will also appear on behalf of the defence.

Defence counsel Abdul Waheed had filed the application praying to call these persons as witnesses before the court. He contended that the court has power to call anyone as witness on request and said it is the right of defence side to request for calling anybody as witness.

Special Public Prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti opposed the application and said that the president and other officials could not be called as witnesses.

Harkat activists Muhammad Hanif, Muhammad Imran, Sharib Arsalan Farooqui, Muhammad Ashraf Khan and Ranger’s ex-Inspector Waseem Akhtar are being tried in the Central Jail for their alleged involvement in conspiracy case to assassinate President Musharraf in Karachi in April 2002.

According to the prosecution, the accused parked a jeep loaded with explosives and fitted it with remote controlled device at Sharea Faisal Karachi through which motorcade of President Musharraf was to pass on April 27, 2002. However, they failed to detonate it.

The activists of the banned organization were arrested in this case while Ranger personnel on charge of providing information to other accused about the movement of President Musharraf’s motorcade.

CHARGE SHEET: Justice Shabbir Ahmed of Sindh High Court (SHC), on Saturday, accepted charge sheet against three accused involved in kidnapping for ransom and referred their case to ATC- III.