KARACHI: Final arguments in student’s kidnapping case
By A Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 27: An anti-terrorism court on Monday fixed August 29 as the date for the final arguments in the kidnapping for ransom case of SSC student Rashid, son of Qadir Bux, who was kidnapped on November 15, 2006.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V had earlier recorded the statements of the men accused of the crime, Sheraz Ahmed and Qari Ghulam Yaseen, on August 17 and 23 and had given them a chance to produce witnesses in their defence. On August 17, they had pleaded not guilty and expressed the intention to produce witnesses in their favour, but failed to do so at yesterday’s hearing.
Special Public Prosecutor Mohammed Mazhar Qayyum had already produced 15 witnesses and closed his side on August 17.
According to the prosecution, the accused kidnapped Rashid from the Hub River side and kept him somewhere in the limits of the Manghopir police station. They demanded Rs10 million in ransom but during negotiations, Rashid’s family agreed to pay Rs2 million. The money was handed over in Nawaz Sharif Park, Islamabad, and the student was released.
A case was registered (FIR No. 147/06) under Section 365-A/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Manghopir police station.
The accused men were arrested on February 28 this year from their residence in Khawaja Ajmer Nagri for involvement in two other cases. Later, kidnap victim Rashid identified his kidnappers during an identification parade.
