March 16, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429

KARACHI, March 15: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday adjourned the hearing of a case pertaining to the murder case of Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman and his brother Irshad till March 22.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, recorded final arguments of defence counsel Mushatq Ahmed. He submitted before the court that the names of the eyewitnesses were included in the list of prosecution witnesses after the arrest of the accused. He argued that there were obvious conflicts in the vocal and medical reports and his client was implicated in the case, and pleaded for his acquittal.

Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman and Irshad were killed in the Preedy police limits on June 23, 2005.

The court had indicted accused Hammad Raza on Sept 12, but he had pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

An FIR (315/05) had been registered at the Preedy police station under Sections 302, 324 and 427/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code against Hammad Raza and absconding co-accused Syed Mohammad Askari.

The court has examined about 13 prosecution witnesses, including two eyewitnesses and an MLO of the Civil Hospital Karachi. The MLO had conducted the autopsy on Mufti Ateeq’s body. Judicial magistrate Sara Junejo, who had conducted the identification parade of the accused, had also recorded his statements before the trail court.