14 March 2004	Sunday	22 Muharram 1425

GUJRANWALA, March 13: The local Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 issued charge sheet against 16 accused of Shabab-i-Milli activists, including their city president and secretary-general, and summoned the witnesses here on Saturday.

Judge Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah adjourned the case till March 18.

According to the prosecution, all the accused led by city president Mushtaq Ibrahim and secretary-general Hafiz Muhammad Imran had taken out a procession against the government for humiliating nuclear scientists. The rally had been brought out on the appeal of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Jamaat-i-Islami amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Feb 6. The processionists also forced the shopkeepers to shut their business, but the Kotwali police had foiled their attempt and arrested the accused.

Later, the police had registered a case against them under the terrorism act. However, they got bail from the ATC. The accused have, however, refused to accept the charges mentioned in the charge sheet by police.

DISCHARGED: The SHO, who had been shot at and injured by three suspects during an encounter some three days ago, was discharged from the DHQ Hospital after his successful operation.

Senior doctors took out cartridges from the leg and foot of Model Town SHO Amir Shaheen after conducting an operation. He was injured when suspects opened fire on him on the Jinnah Road for chasing them. However, a raiding police party had arrested accused Hadayatullah alias Sherazi.

During interrogation, he revealed that he was going with his accomplices Wasim and Azeem to kidnap the son of an industrialist for ransom of Rs200,000. The police were conducting raids for the arrest of his accomplices. Accused Wasim, who is still at large, had killed ASI Qudratullah of Baghbanpura during an encounter a few months ago.

The police have registered a case against the three accused under terrorism act.