KARACHI: Judgment reserved in jail van attack case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 29: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Wednesday judgement in the prisoners’ van firing case against five workers of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed April 4 for pronouncement of verdict after hearing final arguments from special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum and defence counsel Amir Mansoob Qureshi, M A Wasti and Ashraf Mughul.
Mohammed Faisal alias Faisal Pehalwan, Waseem Sabir, Mazhar Hussain, Mohammed Tassaduq and Muzammil Hussain have been prosecuted for killing a constable and an under-trial prisoner during an attack on a prisoners’ van on Feb 28, 2002, near Bohrapir.
According to the prosecution, the LJ men opened fire on the van carrying sectarian workers to Central Prison. Constable Mohammed Shakil and an under-trial prisoner, Saqib son of Meher Din, were killed in the attack. A dozen other UTPs were also injured.
MURDER CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off hearing of a kidnapping and murder case of an 18-year-old man after recording statement of a prosecution witness.
Judge Syed Saghir Hussain Zaidi of the ATC-3 fixed Thursday for the next hearing after statement by MLO Dr Jagdesh Mumar, who had conducted the autopsy on the victim’s body.
Mehboob Ali, a cloth merchant, was kidnapped for ransom allegedly by his relatives who slaughtered him even after receiving money for his release from his family.
The victim was running a cloth shop with his paternal uncle in Lea Market.
On August 23, 2005, his second cousin, Uzma, called him on his mobile at 6pm when he was sitting at the shop of his friend, Asif. The cousin asked him to come to her house in Garden East.
Jahanzeb, husband of Uzma, his elder brother Aurangzeb and one of their relatives, Mohammed Arif, made Mehboob hostage when he reached Uzma’s house. The kidnappers contacted the victim’s family and demanded Rs4 million for his release.
However, later kidnappers agreed to accept Rs500,000 after a series of negotiations with victim’s family. On Aug 25, the kidnappers phoned victim’s paternal uncle Asghar Ali and asked him to bring money near Lyari Expressway.
Asghar Ali, with victim’s elder brother Mohammed Akram, reached the appointed place.
Asghar and Akram, who recognised the kidnappers, told them they should not have kidnapped Mehboob if they only wanted money. Although the kidnappers received the ransom amount, they did not release the victim.
The accused allegedly took Mehboob to an under-construction bungalow in Garden East where they slaughtered the trussed up victim. Sensing some suspicious activity, a resident of the vicinity called police emergency number 15.
Subsequently, Soldier Bazaar police reached the spot around 7:15am and they shifted the body to hospital where the victim remained unknown. A murder case was registered against unknown culprits.
The family came to know about the killing through newspapers. Later, they informed the police about the kidnapping of Mehboob by their relatives.
The Soldier police arrested Aurangzeb on September 29 near Slaughter House Road in Baghdadi. Uzma, Jahanzeb and Mohammed Arif have been declared absconders as they remained untraceable.
Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa is representing the state.
