KARACHI, Dec 7: The prosecution concluded on Wednesday evidence in the corps commander convoy attack case against 11 workers of the banned Jundullah with the deposition by its last witness, the investigation officer.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 put off the hearing till Dec 14 after Inspector Tariq’s statement, who would be cross-examined by the defence counsel on the next date of hearing.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoiab Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar and Khalid Rao were formally indicted on Sept 23, 2004, for a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of the then corps commander, Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat, on June 10, 2004, on old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passer-by.
The Jundullah men, represented by M R Syed and Mushtaq Ahmed, were charged with offences under Sections 302, 324, 404 and 34 of PPC, Section 7 of the Anti-terrorist Act, 1997, and Section 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Act. Adnan Shah alias Tipu, Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
The prosecution, represented by special public prosecutors Iqtidar Ali Hashmi and Maula Bux Bhatti, examined in all 32, out of total 60, prosecution witnesses cited in the charge-sheet. The prosecution gave up rest of the witnesses.
The prosecution witnesses also included eye-witnesses to the attack on the convoy and arrest of some of the Jundullah men.
The driver of the van, which was used in the attack on the convoy, identified Uzair Ahmed, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah and Najeebullah as snatchers of his vehicle (EE-9255).
According to prosecution, accused Najeebullah had booked the vehicle from its owner for taking it to Kalri Lake on picnic and he had asked the owner to send the vehicle at a house in Federal B. Area.
Driver Ghulam Rasool stated that he along with conductor Bakhtiar Khan reached the designated place around 6am. However, he said, no one was available at the address and the three accused were standing there.
