KARACHI: Order on Asif’s plea for acquittal reserved
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 29: The district and sessions judge, East, Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, reserved on Saturday judgment on the acquittal application of Asif Ali Zardari in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case.
Special Public Prosecutor Ilyas Khan while opposing the application submitted that the application was not maintainable as the trial was in its final stage.
The SPP also placed on record an authority of the Supreme Court which observed in the Raja Rehman case that the case could neither be quashed, nor the acquittal plea under Section 265-K was maintainable if the trial was at its last stage.
The judge fixed Nov 26 for the pronouncement of its order on the acquittal application.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto was killed along with six others, including his close aide, Ashiq Jatoi, in September 1996 some 100 meters from his residence in Clifton by a heavy contingent of police during an alleged shootout.
Asif Ali Zardar, spouse of Benazir Bhutto, former DIG of Karachi, Shoaib Suddle, the then SSP South, Wajid Durrani, the then IB chief, Masood Sharif, the then SP of Saddar, Shahid Hiyat, the then ASP of Darkhshan, Rai Mohammed Tahir, the then SHO of Garden, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, the then SHO of Napier, Agha Mohammed Jameel, ASI Abdul Basit, head constables Muslim Shah and Faisal Hafeez, and constables Zafar Iqbal, Zulfiqar Ahmed, Ghulam Mustafa, Ahmed Khan, Raja Hameed, Gulzar Khan, Zakir Mehmood and Ghulam Shabbir are being tried in the case. They all have been granted bail.
JUSTICE NIZAM CASE: The district and sessions judge, Central, Nisar Mohammed Shaikh, adjourned on Saturday the hearing of Justice Nizam murder case against Asif Ali Zardari and three others.
The judge fixed Nov 26 after Mr. Zardari’s counsel Abu Bakar Zardari placed an application praying to the court to adjourn the case as his client was sick and was admitted to the hospital.
Asif Zardari, Akhtar Javed Pirzada, Bilal Shaikh and Babar Sindhu are facing charges of double murder.
The former judge of the Sindh High Court and his son, Nadim Ahmed, a lawyer, were shot dead in an attack in 1996 near their house within the limits of the Ferozabad police.
In his application, the defence counsel prayed to the court to condone Mr. Zardari’s absence for Saturday’s hearing as his client was abroad in connection with his medical treatment.
RANSOM CASE: An anti-terrorism court adjourned on Wednesday the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case after recording the deposition by the investigation officer.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Oct 31 for the next hearing after the statements of the investigation officer, who was also cross-examined by defence cousel Ashfaq Rafique Janjua.
According to the prosecution, accused Zahid Sagheer along with absconding accused Fahad Masod, S. M. Nadeem, Imtiaz and Shahid kidnapped 22-year-old Syed Shahid Ahmed on Feb 2 within the limits of Sachal police and demanded Rs2.5 million for his release from his brother Syed Mohammed Serwar.
Accused Zahid Sagheer was allegedly arrested on Feb 6 at his house in Landhi where the victim was kept. The police also recovered the victim from Sagheer’s house during the raid.
ACQUITTED: The district and sessions judge, East, Rashida Asad, acquitted a worker of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) in a murder case.
Accused Syed Zahid Mustafa, represented by Sohail Anjum, was prosecuted for the murder of Aziz Ahmed in 1995 in Landhi.
