RAWALPINDI, Dec 20: An anti-terrorism court here on Wednesday adjourned hearing in the bail plea of Allama Sajid Naqvi, chief of the outlawed Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP), till Dec 23 after hearing arguments.

Judge Manzoor Ahmed Mirza of the special anti-terrorism court No.1 heard arguments of both prosecution and defence counsel, which mainly revolved around the statements of two prosecution witnesses (PWs), recorded on Oct 25.

The prosecution witnesses in their statements had alleged that the assassination plan of Maulana Azam Tariq, chief of the banned Millat-i-Islami Pakistan (MIP), had been finalized at the residence of Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

The PWs — Imtiaz Hussain and Shaikh Imran — belong to Jhang. They alleged that they were present at the residence of Qazi Hussain Ahmed in Islamabad where a meeting of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was in progress.

Allama Sajid Naqvi, they claimed, after some time, came out of the meeting room and joined Sabtain Kazmi and Amanullah Siyal, both co-accused in the same case, who had been waiting for Allama Naqvi in the room where they (PWs) were present.

Allama Naqvi, they said in their statements, took both the co-accused to a corner of the room and directed them to remove Maulana Azam Tariq from his way as Maulana Tariq was a hurdle in the way of spreading and promoting Fiqah Jaferiya in the country.

The PWs had further recorded that Sabtain Kazmi and Amanullah Siyal had promised to provide men and arms for the assassination of Maulana Azam Tariq.

The prosecution urged the court not to grant bail to Allama Sajid Naqvi, who according to them, was involved in the heinous crime of terrorism and sectarianism. The prosecution further maintained that Allama Naqvi was also nominated in the FIR.

However, the prosecution’s allegations invited heated arguments from the defence counsel — Zulfaqar Ali Naqvi and Sardar Ishaq Khan.

They termed the allegation false, baseless and concocted as police had yet to record the statement of Qazi Hussain Ahmed in the case.

Besides, police had not yet even visited Qazi Hussain’s residence along with the prosecution witnesses to ascertain in which room the plan was finalized, the defence counsel argued.

The prosecution witnesses, the defence counsel contended, had recorded their state-ments on Oct 25, while Maulana Azam Tariq was murdered on Oct 6.

Allama Naqvi had not been nominated in the first information report soon after the incident, but after 19 days.

The prosecution had also produced the challan against Allama Sajid Naqvi in the court.