KARACHI, Oct 30: The additional district and sessions judge-4, Central, Gulshan Ara Chandio, on Tuesday acquitted Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) chief Afaq Ahmed Khan, who was arrested for firing on police and wounding a sub-inspector in Liaquatabad on Feb 3, 1994. This was the eighth of the 12 cases in which the MQM-H leader is being tried. He has been acquitted in all the eight cases so far.
The court after hearing the final arguments from both the defence and state counsel inside the central prison on Oct 26 reserved its judgment for Oct 30.
According to the verdict, the prosecution had failed to produce any solid evidence in the court to prove the involvement of the accused in the crime.
According to the prosecution, Sub-inspector Rizwan suffered a bullet injury in Liaquatabad, where 600 protesters were holding a demonstration against the creation of Malir district.
A case (FIR 51/1994) had been registered at the Liaquatabad police station against Afaq Ahmed, former MPA Asif and former MQM secretary for finance the late Sardar Ahmed under sections 109, 324, 353, 147 and 148/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Later, police arrested Afaq Ahmed while the other suspects were declared as absconders in the case.
Defence counsel Suhail Anjum told the court that the prosecution had failed to produce any solid proof about the involvement of the accused in the case.
He claimed that the case was baseless and had been registered with mala-fide intentions. His opponents wanted to politically victimize him, he added.
Pleading for the disposal of the case, he said police had failed to nominate the actual accused and the nomination on a random basis was illegal since it was a mob.
Four more cases
The 12 criminal cases against Afaq Ahmed were registered by police at various police stations.
According to Advocate Suhail Anjum, the MQM leader has been tried in 12 cases, five of them of murder. Now, he said, only four cases were under trial.
The defence counsel expressed his reservations over the trials inside the prison and said that during the last one year no judge, except the ADJ, Central, had visited the prison in connection with the cases.
“We have submitted an application to the court of the additional district and sessions judge-II, Malir, Romana Siddiqui, for an open trial so that the process may be expedited,” he said.
Two of the cases, registered by police at the Landhi police station under Section 13-E of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, were under trial in the court of the additional district and sessions judge-6, East, Ejaz Khaskheli, and the others were in the court of the additional district and sessions judge-II, Malir, Romana Siddiqui.
Afaq Ahmed, the counsel said, was not nominated in the murder cases but was arrested only on police statement. The accused has also not confessed what the police had registered against him.
Answering a question about the benefits to the accused from the National Reconciliation Ordinance, he said they would have to contact the Sindh Home Department for the purpose, but it would be like begging from the provincial government.
He said Mr Ahmed would never like to do so and would prefer to contest the cases so that they could be decided on merit. He said the cases were baseless and he believed the courts would acquit him.
Mr Anjum said all the cases were registered against him with mala-fide intentions and his political opponents wanted to victimize him. He said if the cases were expedited, he would be able to get justice.
KARACHI, Oct 30: The additional district and sessions judge-4, Central, Gulshan Ara Chandio, on Tuesday acquitted Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) chief Afaq Ahmed Khan, who was arrested for firing on police and wounding a sub-inspector in Liaquatabad on Feb 3, 1994. This was the eighth of the 12 cases in which the MQM-H leader is being tried. He has been acquitted in all the eight cases so far.
