KARACHI, April 29: An anti-terrorism court acquitted on Friday two workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in a petrol pump blast case. Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 exonerated Sameerullah and Mohammad Khalid from charges as the prosecution could not bring on record incriminating evidence against them.
The judge ordered that the accused may be released forthwith if not involved in other cases.
The two activists, represented by M. R. Syed, were prosecuted for causing bomb explosion at Shell petrol pump in PIB Colony on May 15, 2003. Special public prosecutor Abdul Waheed Khan represented the state.
BLAST CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-3 reserved judgements in two petrol pump blast cases against three workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi.
The judge fixed Saturday for pronouncement of verdicts after he heard final argument from special public prosecutor Mahar Qayyum and defence counsel M. R. Syed.
Accused Atif alias Kamran, Naeem alias Roofi and Mehmood Ullah have been prosecuted for causing bomb blasts at two petrol pumps within the limits of the Jamshed Quarters police on May 15, 2003.
While recording the statements before the court, the Harkat men denied the charges. They also disputed the time and place of their arrest. They said they were arrested on April 1, 2004 from their respective houses. The police claimed their arrest on April 6.
The same court also reserved judgment in another bomb blast case till Saturday.
The case pertained to a blast at a church in Saddar in 1998.
SENTENCED: The additional district and sessions judge, East, Mrs. Akhtar A. Chaudhry, sentenced two robbers to suffer rigorous imprisonment for two years.
Accused Mohammed Jamal and Mashooq Ali were found guilty of having robbed complainant Abdul Waheed and his wife of cash and gold ornaments in 2003 in Model Colony.
REMANDED: The judicial magistrate, West, Ghulam Nabi Panhwar, remanded three suspects, including the brother of notorious figure of the gangland, Arshad Pappu, to police custody for interrogation.
Shahzad, brother of Pappu, Ismail and Tehseen Ali were arrested by the Saeedabad police, which booked them for attempting to kill policemen during a shootout under Sections 324 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code and for possessing illegal weapons under Section 13-D of Arms Ordinance.
The magistrate ordered the police to complete their investigation till May 3 and produce the suspects before the court.
