January 27, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 17, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 26: The additional district and sessions judge, South, Irfan Hussain Siddiqi, on Saturday acquitted Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza of the Pakistan People’s Party in the murder case of former chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills Sajjad Hussain.

Defence counsel Shahadat Awan moved an application under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code for the acquittal of his client.

He submitted that Dr Zulfiqar was not nominated in the FIR and the investigation officer of the case had clearly stated that Dr Zulfiqar was not involved in the case.

He further submitted that the prosecution has failed to prove his client’s involvement in the case and there was no other evidence against the applicant except the statement of accused Mohammed Khan Chachar before the police, who has already been acquitted.

The judge acquitted Dr Zulfiqar on the grounds of lack of evidence against him for his involvement in the case.

According to the prosecution, former Steel Mills chief Sajjad Hussain was shot on Sept 11, 1998, in Defence while he was on his way home. A case (FIR 220/1998) was registered under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown assailants at the Defence police station on the complaint of Ms Amna Sajjad Hussain.

Asif Ali Zardari, Mohammed Khan Chachar, Dr Nisar, Salimuddin alias Salloo and Sohail Ahmed alias Panga were the co-accused in the case. However, Asif Zardari was acquitted in Aug 2003, while the trial court had convicted Mohammad Chachar, though he was acquitted by the high court. Dr Nisar, Salimuddin and Sohail were declared absconders by the court. The investigation officer said in the charge-sheet that Salimuddin and Sohail Ahmed were arrested in Sept 1999 and during the interrogation, the two suspects disclosed that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had allegedly telephoned them in Sept 1998 and asked them to kill the former Steel Mills chief.