25 April 2004	Sunday	04 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, April 24: The statement of magistrate was recorded on Saturday before an anti-terrorism court, headed by Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti, in killing case against Mohajir Qaumi Movement's vice-chairman Amir Khan and its activist Muhammad Tariq.

Amir Khan and Muhammad Tariq are being tried on charge of killing two activists of their rival group Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

According to the prosecution, Amir Khan along with others killed two activists of the Muttahida Muhammad Naeem and Anam Uzair in by-elections of National Assembly constituency NA-255 on June 23, 2003.

Judicial Magistrate East Zabiha Khatak, who had recorded the statement of eyewitnesses Dilawar, Saleem and Rafiq and conducted the identification parade of the accused, recorded her statement.

The trial, which is being conducted in Landhi Jail, was fixed for April 28 for the next hearing. Special Prosecutor Iqtedar Ali Hashmi is representing the State.

PLEA REJECTED: An anti-terrorism court, on Saturday, rejected the bail application of two brothers in a kidnapping for ransom case.

Mohammad Shahid and Mohammad Zahid, charged with kidnapping Amir Haroon in SITE for ransom, were arrested by anti-violent crime cell.

The bail application was heard before Judge Arshad Noor Khan of ATC-III in which the court was prayed to grant bail to the accused, as they were falsely implicated in the said case.

According to the police, the accused had kidnapped Amir Haroon, manager of Ahmed Container Terminal, from SITE on March 22. They demanded two million rupees as ransom from abductee's family.

Later, the accused received Rs980,000 checque from abductee's father. They were caught red-handed and the police got the abductee released near a bank. -PPI