KARACHI, March 3: An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday, allowing an acquittal application filed by an activist of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, exonerated him in a sectarian killing case.

"The application under section 265-K CrPC is allowed as there is no probability of accused being convicted," ordered ATC Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi. "Mohammad Faisal alias Pehalwan is acquitted and released if not involved in other cases."

The activist was booked on the charge of killing Dr Sibtain Ali Dosa, his employee Ali Nawaz and friend Mohammad Arshad Shahid in the Kharadar area.

The prosecution alleged that the accused along with the absconding co-accused attacked the clinic of Dr Sibtain Ali Dosa on May 2, 2000 and killed the three persons and wounded two others. Earlier, on Nov 27, 2000 the ATC acquitted Qari Nisar in the case as the prosecution failed to produce any evidence against the defendant.

INDICTED: The ATC indicted five activists of the SSP in the prisoner van attack case. Mohammad Faisal, Sabir Ali Waseem, Mazharul Hassan, Muzamil and Malik Tassduq, charged with attacking a prisoner van carrying some sectarian activists for their release near Bohra Pir, pleaded "not guilty" when an amended charge sheet was read out by the court. - PPI