KARACHI, Nov 29: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday adjourned till Dec 11 the hearing in a case pertaining to a conspiracy to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf in the limits of Airport police station on April 26, 2002.
Judge Ghulam Ali Samtio of ATC-1, who is conducting the trial in the central prison, recorded the arguments of defence counsel Waheed Katpar and Mustaq Ahmed. The counsel with continue their arguments on the next hearing.
The prosecution in the case had already completed their final arguments and sought maximum punishment under the law for the accused.
The six accused, , Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Hanif alias Ayub, Mohammad Ashraf, Waseem Akhtar, Mohammad Jamil and Arsalan alias Sharib, reportedly belonging to the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi, have been charged with hatching a conspiracy leading to a foiled attempt on the life of President Pervez Musharraf in Karachi.
According to the prosecution, Waseem Akhtar, a Rangers inspector, had been tasked with providing information about President Musharraf’s arrival in the city. Kamran, who had allegedly positioned himself at a petrol station near Star Gate on Sharea Faisal, tried to blow an explosives-laden vehicle using a remote control but failed. The accused had allegedly rented out a shop in a fake name and Aamir used to sit in it.
According to the charge-sheet, Sharib had planted explosives in the vehicle and Naveed and Jamil had assembled the explosive device and its remote control.
The Rangers’ official had allegedly leaked out the information regarding the arrival of the president and Mohammad Hanif, Imran, Jamil, Naveed, Aamir and Sharib had taken positions near the Awami Markaz to ascertain if the president’s motorcade had been blown up.
Hizb activist remanded
An activist of the banned outfit Hizbul Tehreer has been remanded in police custody till Dec 12, 2007 by the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts, Khwaja Naveed Ahmed.
Accused Mohammad Waqas, son of Mohammad Muslim, was arrested by Mubina Town police on Nov 11, 2007 when he was pasting posters of the banned organisation on the wall of Bilal Mosque situated in Block 4-A Gulshan-i-Iqbal while his co-accused Rana Rasheed, Khwaja Hassan and Mohammad Naveed managed to flee.
An FIR (298/2007) was registered against the accused and the absconders.
