04 November 2004	Thursday	20 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 3: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Wednesday the judgment in a murder-cum-robbery case against a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Thursday for the pronouncement of verdict after he heard final arguments from prosecution and defence attorneys.

Nadim alias Chitta has been prosecuted for killing a constable and looting passengers of a mini-bus on April 2, 2000, in Orangi.

According to prosecution, constables Shamim Akhtar and Mohammad Nasir, posted at a nearby picket, reached Islamnagar Chowk where some dacoits held passengers of W-25 hostage at gunpoint and started looting them at 10:30pm. The culprits opened fire on the policemen and fled the scene.

Constable Shamim died instantly as a bullet pierced through his skull. The other constable sustained bullet wound in his right hip.

Injured Nasir, who along with the deceased cop reached the spot in a hired taxi, shifted the body to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in the same taxi.

The prosecution examined in all 13 prosecution witnesses in the case. The injured cop and the taxi driver, Zubair Ahmed, appeared as two eye-witnesses, who submitted to have seen accused Chitta as one of the dacoits.

Later, on April 20, 2003, the police arrested two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Shahid and Yousuf were arrested by the Orangi Town police. The two were charge-sheeted before Judge Arshad Noor Khan, who acquitted them.

The injured cop and the taxi driver had also appeared as prosecution witnesses and testified against accused Shahid and Yousuf.

However, the court was of the view that it was practically impossible for a person to identify an accused in a definite manner merely after having momentarily glanced at him.

ACQUITTED: The additional district and sessions judge, East, Mrs Akhtar A. Chaudhry, acquitted a man in a double murder case.

Farman Shaikh alias Abba was arrested by the Saudabad police for killing two unknown men on May 16, 1999.

The case, pertaining to the recovery of two bullet-riddled bodies from a school, was registered on the complaint of the chowkidar of the school, Khuda Bux.

The judge exonerated the accused from all charges for want of incriminating evidence.

The same court acquitted an accused in the murder case as the prosecution could not prove its case against him.

Aslam Afghani was prosecuted for strangling Mohammad Khan with an electric wire on Sept 4, 2000 in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

BLAST CASE: The prosecution witness was declared hostile in a petrol station blast case being heard by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Wednesday, adds PPI.

The case is being tried against two activists of the Harkatul Mujahideen Aalmi.

Sameerullah and Mohammad Khalid allegedly caused an explosion at a Shell petrol station in PIB Colony on May 15, 2002, in which one person sustained injuries. They were booked Section 3,4 of the Explosives Act and Section 324 of the PPC.

Complainant Asif Ali Rajput, who lodged case against unidentified persons, was declared hostile on the request of Special Public Prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti as he did not support the prosecution case.

ATC Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti adjourned the hearing of the trial for Nov 8 for the next hearing.

Meanwhile, the same court issued show-cause notice to the investigation officer in another blast case for not bringing the case property before the court.

The court was hearing trial against a Harkat activist Mehmoodullah who allegedly caused an explosion at a petrol pump in New Town. Inspector Mohammad Mukhtar was supposed to produce the case property used in petrol pump blast case.