KARACHI: Jundullah men deny charges in Rangers’ van attack case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 9: Two activists of the banned Jundullah group, being tried for attacking a rangers’ mobile van, denied on Friday charges before an anti-terrorism court. Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 fixed Dec 14 for the next hearing after statements by Ataur Rehman and Shahzad Ahmed Bajwa.
The two Jundullah men are charged with attacking a rangers’ mobile van on March 19, 2004, under the Baloch Colony Bridge in Ferozabad police area.
The two accused disputed their time of arrest and stated that they were arrested on June 12, 2004, while the police had shown their arrest on June 13. They also placed on record the news clipping of an Urdu daily to substantiate their claim. The judge summoned the staff reporter of the newspaper on the next date.
IMTIAZ SHAIKH: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 adjourned till Dec 24 the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against sacked provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh and others.
The case against Imtiaz Shaikh and co-accused Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammad Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui was registered by the Korangi police on March 28, 2005 on the complaint of Zafar Iqbal, who alleged that his 17-year-old son was kidnapped on June 28, 2003 on the directives of the sacked minister.
The complainant alleged that the accused kidnapped Umer Iqbal from his house in Qayyumabad and demanded Rs1.5 million from his wife for the release of his son.
He further alleged that the accused released his son after receiving Rs700,000 at the house of Imtiaz Shaikh.
Mehfooz Ahmed, an alleged associate of the sacked minister, was the only arrested accused in the case.
Imtiaz Sheikh was granted interim bail by the Sindh High Court, which has put off the matter for conformation of the bail. The remaining accused persons have been declared absconders.
