KARACHI, Aug 29: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday recorded the statement of the investigation officer (IO) in the kidnapping case of Ali Akbar, who was spirited away from the Super Highway on February 17, 2007.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the trial, fixed August 30 for the defence counsel’s cross-examination of the IO’s statements.

IO sub-inspector Tahir Naseer told the court that the accused Sheraz Ahmed, Sherazul Haq, Khwaj Mohammad and Qari Yaseen had confessed to the crime during interrogations and two of them had also been identified by the kidnap victim during an identification parade. The policeman stated that it had also been proved that the accused used to don police uniforms while committing crimes and such clothing had been recovered from their possession at the time of their arrest.

The depositions of kidnap victim Ali Akbar, his father Saifuddin and private witness Rehmatullah were recorded by the court on August 27. According to Special Public Prosecutor Mohammed Mazhar Qayyum, the statements of 14 prosecution witnesses were recorded by the court.

The prosecution argued that Ali Akbar and a guest had been travelling from the airport when the accused, dressed as policemen, stopped them at the Super Highway. While the guest waited in the car, Akbar was put in another vehicle and taken to Faqeera Goth, in the Sachhal police station limits.

The next day, the kidnappers demanded a Rs20 million ransom, which was negotiated down to Rs500,000 to be handed over at Islamabad airport. The ransom was paid by Saifuddin on February 21, 2007, and Akbar was released in Karachi the same day.

Subsequently, FIR No. 91/07 was registered under Section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Sachhal police station.

The four men accused of the crime were arrested in different case on February 28 from their residence in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri. Reportedly, they confessed to the crime during interrogations but pleaded not guilty when indicted by the court on March 8.

While recording his statement in court, Ali Akbar identified Sheraz Ahmed, who he said had driven the car at the time of the kidnapping, and Khwaj Mohammed, who had served him meals during his captivity. Saifuddin, meanwhile, identified Sheraz Ahmed as the person to whom he had given the ransom money at Islamabad airport.

Private witness Rehmatullah is the owner of the Faqeera Goth house where Akbar was held captive. He had rented the house out to Qari Yaseen forRs2, 000 a month.