KARACHI, Jan 29: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi on Saturday recorded statements of two more defence witnesses in a trial against Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arshad Waheed, facing terrorism charges.

Dr Akmal, a cardiac specialist of NICVD, and Dr Arshad, a kidney physician of the JMPC, are facing charges of providing medical treatment to Al Qaeda, Junduallah activists, sending them to Wana for training and giving them funds.

On Saturday, Dr Fouzia Akmal, wife of Dr Akmal and Kamran Akmal, were examined as defence witnesses.

Dr Fouzia deposed that on June 13, 2004, she saw on the internet, statement of Federal Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that her spouse Dr Akmal was under arrest of being a member of the Al Qaeda.

She stated it surprised her as Akmal was treating patients in the clinic.

After the kidnapping of her spouse and his brother Dr Arshad on June 17, 2004, a report of their kidnapping was lodged with the police. Later, it came to her knowledge that they had been detained by the law-enforcement agencies.

She stated that the Pakistan Medical Association and Pakistan Islamic Medical Association were approached in this regard.

She said against the detention of her spouse and brother-in-law, she held press conferences, demonstrations in front of Parliament and met opposition leaders.-PPI