18 July 2004	Sunday	29 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 17: Three activists of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi filed appeals in the Sindh High Court against their conviction in five sectarian killing cases by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi.

Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif were prosecuted in four cases pertaining to killing of Dr Raza Peerani in Soldier Bazar area, Syed Razi Haider Najfi, his son Syed Abbas Ali in Gizri area, Syed Athar Hussain Rizvi in Korangi area and Syed Hasan Abidi in Korangi Industrial area Karachi.

ATC on July 6 convicted Attaullah in all four cases and Mohammad Azam in three, except killing case of Syed Hasan Abidi. Azam was acquitted in the said case for want of evidence.

The court also convicted and awarded capital punishment to Attaullah and Mohammad Riaz on charge of killing Syed Kazim Hussain Shah, a video shop owner in Mehmoodabad area Karachi.

Appellants' counsel M R Syed submitted that his clients were innocent and had been implicated in the killing cases. He contented that the witnesses in the above cases were interested and they deposed falsely in cases.

It was submitted that the identification parades of appellants were delayed and no legal requirements were complied with by the judicial magistrate.

He submitted that on July 3, 2002, the photos of appellants were published in all newspapers, therefore, their identification test had no legal force.

Mr Syed further submitted that the trial court did not appreciate evidence in accordance with law and the evidence was not given due consideration.

The court was prayed to set aside the trial court judgments and acquit the appellants in all cases.

CDGK RESTRAINED: The Sindh High Court on Saturday restrained the City District Government Karachi from blocking the link road straight from main University Road to Faizan-i-Madina mosque at the old Sabzimandi area till July 22.

The court ordered this on an application submitted by the Dawat-i-Islami Trust filed in a lawsuit for injunctions against the CDGK and its district officer (revenue).

The trust, which owns building No 17/2 of 10,000 square yards at jail quarters in old Sabzimandi area, stated in its petition that it was a Waqf property and scores of visitors and students come to the premises.

The contention in the application was that the CDGK for the purpose of a public park on the land of old Sabzimandi intend to amalgamate the 50 feet wide road, which was also the way for approaching the plaintiff's premises.

It was stated that defendants are not permitted by law to deprive the people from their right of passage.

The court was prayed to restrain the defendants from closing down permanently or temporarily the link road approaching directly from the plaintiff's premises to the main University Road.

SHC's single bench, comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar, issuing fresh notice to the defendants and the AG Sindh, restrained the CDGK from blocking the link road straight from the main University Road to plaintiff's premises till July 22.-PPI