KARACHI, Dec 2: The Sindh High Court asked the jail authorities on Friday to submit a report on the shifting of a leader of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami convicted in the US consulate car bomb case from Karachi’s Central Prison to the Hyrderabad district jail.

A division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Rehmat Hussain Jafri was hearing appeals moved by activists of the outlawed militant outfit against their conviction by an anti-terrorism court in the in the bomb case.

The chief and the general secretary of the outfit, Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Haneef, respectively, were sentenced to death whereas two of its activists, Sharib Arsalan Farooqui and Hafiz Mohammad Zubair, were awarded life terms by the ATC on April 14, 2003.

They were accused of blowing up an explosives-laden pickup van near the US consulate building in Karachi on June 14, 2002. Twelve people were killed and 43 wounded in the blast.

Imran was produced before the bench on Friday in pursuance of a court order as his counsel had failed to appear at consecutive dates of hearing. The appellant requested for time to engage a new lawyer for arguing his appeal.

He submitted that he had been shifted to the Hyderabad jail from Karachi pending the hearing of his appeal and his family members were facing hardships because of the shifting. He asked the court to direct jail authorities to shift him back to the Karachi prison.

The bench directed the jail authorities to submit a report on shifting, and adjourned further hearing to a date in office.

PLEA DISMISSED: The Sindh High Court on Friday dismissed the quashment application of an ex-cashier of the Malir Cantonment Board, PPI adds. Sikandar Fayaz was being tried by the Accountability Court along with others for fraud and embezzlement of Rs2.3 million.