27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

RAWALPINDI, Jan 26: A court here on Monday acquitted the Azad Kashmir Assembly Deputy Speaker, his son and another person in the Amarpura murder case after the prosecution failed to produce evidence against them in the court.

Additional district and sessions judge Syed Pervez Ali Shah exonerated the Mohammad Sanuallah Qadri, his son, Hafiz Ahmed Qadri, and another co-accused Zafar Iqbal from charges of stabbing to death a man, Mohammad Ayub.

According to the prosecution, Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Kambwa had registered a complaint with Waris Khan Police Station saying that in a scuffle over some issue during the local bodies elections on May 21, 1998, Sanaullah stabbed his brother-in-law, Ayub. The co-accused Hafiz Ahmed Raza held Ayub when Sanaullah stabbed him, he added.

However, the defence counsel, Dr Babar Awan and Sardar Abdur Razaq Khan, contended before the court that the victim had died after receiving bullet injuries during a crossfire between two parties involved in the case.

The defence lawyers said at the time of firing, Mr Qadri was admitted to a hospital, while Ahmed Raza was present at a function in connection with the death anniversary of Mir Waiz Farooq Shaheed, held at a hotel in Islamabad.