KARACHI, March 15: Two workers of the banned Lashkar-i- Jhangvi, being tried for a bomb blast near the head office of the Pakistan State Oil
, were identified on Monday by the prosecution witnesses in an anti-terrorism court.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-II put off the hearing till Tuesday after the depositions of prosecution witnesses Waqar Ahmed and Rahil Khan. Accused Abdul Wahab Afghani and Shahnawaz alias Shani are being tried for the blast on Feb 3, 2003 in which a man was killed and three others were wounded. The bomb was planted in a motorcycle.
The blast also damaged at least 12 motorcycles parked in the area besides shattering the windowpanes of the Clifton Galleria Shopping Mall and PSO House. The man killed in the blast was identified as Karimdad, a parking fee collector.
Waqar Ahmed, the parking contractor, deposed that accused Afghani and an unknown pillion rider came on a bike. "They parked the motorcycle in the parking lot and the blast occurred five minutes after they left.
Rahil Khan, a motorcycle mechanic, stated that accused Shani came to his workshop in Korangi and purchased the bike through him. He said the accused introduced himself as Ismail. Special public prosecutor Maula Bukhsh Bhatti has so far examined 10 prosecution witnesses in the case.
KIDNAPPING CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against a female constable after the deposition of two eye-witnesses.
Yasmin Tahira, 50, is being prosecuted for kidnapping her grand-daughter Bisma, 8, for ransom. Yasmin Tahira was booked and arrested on the complaint of her daughter Bushra.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-III fixed March 17 for the next hearing after the depositions of Tariq Mehmood and Khuda Bukhsh alias Salim. Tariq Mehmood stated before the court that he was the owner of a floor mill in the Al-Abbas building, where the complainant woman was also living. He claimed that he saw accuse Yasmin taking away the girl with her.
Khuda Bukhsh, a tailor in the area, stated that he also saw the policewoman and the victim girl leaving the vicinity together. The police woman allegedly kidnapped the girl on Oct 28, 2003 and kept her at different places until she was caught red-handed on Nov 14 at Moro while taking her grand-daughter to Bahawalpur.
FIRING CASE: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC- III put off the hearing of the police camp firing case till Tuesday. Accused Zulfiqar is being prosecuted for killing two police officials at a police picket next to the US consulate.
