October 09, 2007	Tuesday	Ramazan 26, 1428

PESHAWAR, Oct 8: A man accused in the case of murder of three Chinese nationals has said in his confessional statement that he himself did not take part in the shooting.

Recording the statement before the court of judicial magistrate Tilla Mohammad, accused Sameen Khan said that on July 8 he was going somewhere in a car with the other accused, Niaz and Jehangir. On Landi road, they stopped at a workshop run by Chinese nationals. He said that three people whom he did not know were there. Niaz and Jehangir asked him to stay in the car and they went inside the workshop along with the three men. He said that all of them were armed with pistols.

Sameen Khan said that after few minutes he heard gunshots and Niaz and Jehangir rushed back to the car. According to Sameen Khan, they did not tell him what had happened.

He said that he came to know after three days that three Chinese people had been killed in the workshop.

The court sent the three accused to judicial lock-up.

VIDEO SHOPS BLOWN UP: Three video and CD shops were blown up in the Mattani bazaar in the outskirts of the provincial capital on Monday.

Police said improvised explosive devices were used for the blasts that took place in Niamat market, Qaim Shah market and Chan Bacha market, destroying the shops.

Shop-owners Tikka Khan, Amir Said and Izzat Sher told police that the blasts had taken place at around 1:30am.

Police sources said the shop-owners had received warning letters from unidentified people asking them to stop video and CD businesses in the area.