KARACHI, April 21: The Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday acquitted six activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement in case of abduction and killing of army personnel. The case was remanded back for retrial to ATC by Sindh High Court on Jan 26, 2004 after hearing the appeals of the MQM’s activists Salman Illyas alias Saleem Raju, Sohail alias Kala Munna, Mohammad Adeel, Shafiq Arain, Irshad Kantap and Abdul Fahmeed against their conviction in killing case.

They were earlier sentenced to death and 14-years in prison by the ATC on Dec 15, 1999 for kidnapping and killing two army personnel, Lance Naik Ahmed Yar Khan and Sepoy Muhammad Idrees in Liaquatabad in 1998.

According to the prosecution, the army men were kidnapped from Firdous Shopping Centre in Liaquatabad on July 27, 1998. Later, their bullet-riddled bodies were found in a nearby graveyard.

ATC headed by Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti after hearing the case acquitted the six accused of kidnapping and murder charge giving them benefit of doubt.—PPI