05 November 2004	Friday	21 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 4: An anti-terrorism court acquitted on Thursday a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a case pertaining to the killing of a constable during a shootout.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 exonerated Nadim alias Chitta from all charges while giving him benefit of doubt.

The Muttahida activist was prosecuted for killing a constable and looting passengers of a minibus 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 the passengers of W-25 hostage at gunpoint and were looting them around 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 on his right hip.

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

MOSQUE CASE: Prosecution examined another prime witness in the Haideri Mosque bomb blast case against a worker of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off hearing till Nov 6 after special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined head constable Arshad Ali, who submitted to have seen accused Gul Hasan, giving a briefcase to suicide bomber constable Akbar Khan Niazi.

Accused Gul Hasan, the alleged mastermind of the blasts, was arrested on June 13 in Mithadar. He is stated to have planned the attacks with absconding accused who included Asif Chutto and Mufti Obaid.

The head constable stated that he was posted at the branch of the National Bank near the Aiwan-i-Tijarat.

The prosecution witness, who was also cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mushtaq Ahmed, said he had also identified accused Gul Hasan during an identification parade before a judicial magistrate on June 26.

CONVICTED: The additional district and sessions judge, West Sheeraz Qureshi, sentenced a reckless driver of a minibus to suffer rigorous imprisonment for four years.

Driver Hamza Ali Khan of G-11 was found guilty of having crushed seven-year-old Basit to death in 2003. The judge waived the Diyat as the victim's father, Mohammed Siddique, pardoned the driver.