27 October 2004	Wednesday	12 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 26: An anti-terrorism court put off on Tuesday the hearing of the Haideri Mosque bomb blast cast against a worker of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi after recording the statements of four prosecution witnesses.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Wednesday for the next hearing after the deposition by Maulana Nisar Hussain, the pesh imam of the bombed mosque and complainant, sub-inspector Akhtar Hussain, ASI Farooq and head constable Nazeer Ahmed.

As many as 26 people were killed and 98 others injured on May 7 when a suicide bomber blew himself inside the Haideri mosque on the premises of Sindh Madressatul Islam.

The pesh imam said he had been leading the prayers at the Haideri mosque for the past 15 years. He said that he went unconscious immediately after the blast in the mosque around 1:15pm.

Maulana Nisar said that he found himself at the Liaquat National Hospital when he came to senses. He said SHO Mithadar recorded his statement at LNH.

The three policemen, who appeared as prosecution witnesses, stated that they shifted the bodies to Civil Hospital.

The PWs were also cross-examined by defence counsel.