KARACHI, Aug 22: An anti-terrorism court adjourned on Monday the hearing of the corps commander’s convoy attack case against 11 workers of the banned Jundullah group after recording the statement of a prosecution witness.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 fixed Tuesday for the next hearing after the deposition of Mohammad Akram, who was a mashir (witness) for the arrest and recovery of weapon from four activists Ataur Rehman, Shahzad Bajwa, Shoaib and Najeeb.
The prosecution witness stated that he heard gunshots near Model Colony graveyard on June 13, 2004 when he was passing through the area. He said the police told him that they had arrested four activists after a shootout and they asked him to become mashir of the incident.
During cross-examination by defence counsel M. R. Syed and Mushtaq Ahmed, the prosecution witness submitted it was a populated area. To a question, he said he was on his way after meeting Subedar Major Aftab at Malir Cantt.
The prosecution, represented by Iqtidar Ali Hashmi and Maula Bux Bhatti, has so far examined 19 prosecution witnesses.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoiab Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar, Khalid Rao and Adnan Shah alias Tipu have been charged with a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat on June 10 last year on the old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passerby.
Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
RANSOM CASE: An anti-terrorism court adjourned the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against two accused after recording the statement of a prosecution witness.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Tuesday for the next hearing after the deposition of Sub-inspector Ghulam Qadir, who was also cross-examined by defence counsel Farid Gul Khan.
Mohammad Sheraz and Iqbal have been charged with kidnapping a 10-year-old schoolboy, Anis Ahmed, in Gulberg on April 6, 2005.
According to prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Niamat Ali Randhawa, the accused demanded Rs 200,000 and 2.5 kgs gold from victim’s father Nasfis Ahmed, a goldsmith, and received Rs70,000 and a gold biscuit for his release.
The police later arrested them and recovered the ransom money and gold.
