KARACHI: Police told to submit charges in Pearl case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 17: An anti-terrorism court directed on Wednesday the police to submit supplementary charge-sheet against Mohammed Hashim alias Arif, one of the five absconding accused in the kidnapping and killing conspiracy case of Daniel Pearl.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 remanded the accused to the judicial custody and directed the investigation officer to list charges against him on Aug 27.
The police also submitted a report regarding the arrest of Mohammed Hashim.
Four accused, including prime accused Ahmed Omar Shaikh, have already been convicted in the Danial Pearl murder case by an anti-terrorism court.
Danial was kidnapped on Jan 23, 2002, from outside Village Restaurant and he was later beheaded by the kidnappers.
Ahmed Omer Sheikh was condemned to death for kidnapping and killing the US journalist. Omar’s three accomplices — Fahad Naseem, Syed Salman Saqib and Sheikh Muhammad Adil were sentenced to life imprisonment, by an ATC in Hyderabad on July 15, 2002.
BENAZIR CASE: An accountability court adjourned on Wednesday the hearing of a corruption reference against Benazir Bhutto after partly hearing arguments from her defence counsel.
Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani of the AC-4 fixed Aug 22 for the next hearing.
The reference against Benazir Bhutto pertained to 1,393 illegal appointments and promotion in different cadres and postings abroad in violation of existing rules, regulation and procedure during her last tenure as prime minister.
Others, charged with corruption and corrupt practices were Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Umer Farooq, former PIA chief, Naheed Khan, Ghulam Hussain Kazi, Ghulam Qadir Shah Jamote, Siraj Shamsudin and Najamul Hasan.
Defence counsel Lakho contended that no prosecution witness, except principal secretary Ahmed Sadiq, deposed against Ms. Bhutto regarding illegal hiring in the national carrier.
