22 July 2004	Thursday	04 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, July 21: Dr Akmal Waheed NICVD and Dr Arshad Waheed of JPMC were on Wednesday sent to jail in a case pertained to sheltering Al Qaeda and Jundullah activists and providing them medical treatment.

They were produced before the Anti-terrorism Court Judge, Arshad Noor Khan amid tight security. Their family members were present in the court.

Investigation officer of the case prayed to the court for an extension in the police custody of the two accused till July 29. The plea was rejected by the judge who observed that sufficient time had been given to police for completing the investigation.

The judge, giving the accused in judicial custody, directed the IO to submit the charge-sheet in the case on July 26. The doctors, however, did not complain for any maltreatment.

Some Jundullah activists, arrested in connection with an attack on corps commander's motorcade, killing of members of law-enforcement agencies, and bomb blasts, had told police that Waheed brothers maintained close links with them.

The doctors have also been accused of providing shelter to certain Al Qaeda activists at different places in Karachi and medical treatment to Jundullah activists Shahzad Bajwa and his absconding accomplice Qasim.

Bajwa was nominated in a case pertaining to an attack on Rangers' van and Qasim in the attack on corps commander's motorcade. The police have already exonerated the doctors, in the 497(B) Cr.PC report, from the charge of complicity in both the cases. While Shaukat Hayat represented the defence, Maula Bux Bhatti appeared as Special Public Prosecutor.

BOMB BLAST CASES: The police on Wednesday submitted chargesheet against Gul Hasan alias Ali Haider, an activist of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, arrested in Imambargah Ali Raza and Haidery mosque bomb blasts cases, before Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Karachi.

The judge, accepting the chargesheets, referred the cases to the ATC-V for a trial. The court will take up these cases on July 29. Gul was arrested by law-enforcement agencies on June 13 in Mithadar area in Karachi.

He is stated to be one accused, with other absconding accused Asif Chutto, Mufti Obaid and others, who planned and prepared suicide bombers Mohammad Ali Memon and Akbar Niazi for suicide bombing at the said Imambargahs. Police thus booked him in two cases.

More then 40 people were killed while several others injured when powerful bomb explosions occurred at Imambargah Haidery in Sindh Madressatul Islam on May 7 and Imambargah Ali Raza on M A Jinnah Road, Karachi, on May 31.

KILLING CASE: An anti-terrorism court in Karachi, headed by Judge Arshad Noor Khan, on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in a killing case against 10 activists of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan after deposition by the prosecution witness.

SSP activists Mansoor Ali Babar, Umer Hayat, Karimullah, Ahmed Zahoor, Hafiz Ahmed Bux, Syed Asif Ali, Mohammad Fazil, Khawaja Saleemuddin, Atiqur Rehman and Ishtiaq Ali are being tried for allegedly killing three persons and injuring seven others by firing on Feb 4, 1995, in Gulberg.

Dr Jalil, medico-legal officer of Abbasi Shaheed hospital who treated the injured persons, recorded his statement. The court later fixed the matter for July 22. Special Public Prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa appeared for the state while S M Iqbal, M R Syed, advocates, are representing the defence side. -PPI