KARACHI, July 8: The Sindh law department has appointed assistant advocate general Habib Ahmed and Maula Bux Bhatti as "public prosecutors" to conduct 18 terrorism cases against Jundullah activists , arrested in connection with an attack on the motorcade of the corps commander and several other cases.

A law department notification stated that the Sindh government, in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 492 of Criminal Procedure Code 1898, appointed AAG Habib Ahmed and Maula Bux Bhatti as public prosecutors to conduct the prosecution cases.

It stated that the special public prosecutors may be consulted before finalization of investigation and submission of challans in these cases. As many as 18 terrorism cases against Jundullah activists were lodged in different police stations of Karachi.

They are charged with attacking on the motorcade of Corps Commander Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat on June 10 in Clifton area. Police also charged them for killing five policemen at Gulistan-i-Johar police station Karachi on April 4, besides attacking a ranger's mobile van in Ferozabad area Karachi on March 19 in which two ranger personnel were killed.

Jundullah men were also accused of engineering two car bomb blasts near the gate of PACC at Fatima Jinnah Road Karachi on May 26, resulting into injuries to 37 people. They are also charged with throwing a hand-grenade in front of the Pakistan Bible Society in Saddar area and planting a bomb in a Suzuki hi-roof on Jan 15. Thirteen policemen, including a DSP and SP, were injured in this attack.

They were also booked in Darakshan police station Karachi in a case pertaining to a car bomb blast at the car parking area of Marina Club Karachi on April 10. Police also charged Jundullah men for killing two policemen Shaukat Ali and Nawab Ali in Saudabad area on June 24, 2003, on charge of killing Tariq Javed Masih and Ishaq Masih of Christian community on May 18 in Aziz Bhatti area Karachi and killing of Chaudhary Asif in the limits of Sharea-i-Faisal police station on Jan 25.

Besides police booked them in explosive, illegal weapon and vehicle-snatching cases. AAG Habib Ahmed was earlier appointed prosecutor in the US Consulate blast case and conspiracy case to assassinate President Musharraf which were tried against activists of banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in ATC Karachi. -PPI