RAWALPINDI, April 16: An anti-terrorism court here on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in the murder case of Maulana Azam Tariq till April 30 as some official witnesses in the case did not appear before the court to record their statements.

ATC 1 Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman has been conducting jail trial of two accused Muhammad Ali and Mudassir Ali due to sectarian nature of the case.

He was killed by gunmen on October 6, 2003 at a toll plaza in Islamabad. The arrested men were booked under the charges of murder, attempted murder, planning a murder, damaging the vehicles and terrorism in a case registered with Golra police.

Three persons—Sajid Naqvi, Amanullah Sial and Nasir—had already been acquitted in the case by the ATC.

Meanwhile, two additional district and sessions judges sought the written comments of station house officer (SHO) Westridge Police Station in two different complaints against him.

In the first case ASJ Rana Muhammad Ali directed the SHO to submit his comments in response to a petition filed by Ghulam Rasool who alleged that the SHO and an assistant sub inspector (ASI) of Westridge Police had been harassing him.

He alleged that he had a dispute with a man over a house and he had got registered a criminal case against him with the Westridge Police. Instead of taking any legal action against the accused, police has been harassing him to withdraw complaint against Yasin, he asserted. He also alleged that policemen had been visiting his house and had once taken him to police station where they tortured him.

In another case ASJ Masroor Anwar directed the SHO to submit his written comments in response to a petition filed by a woman Nasreen Khalid who had sought registration of criminal case against an ASI of Westridge police. The complainant alleged that ASI Yar Muhammad, her neighbour, had asked her to hand over her pet dogs to him as he liked them. On her refusal the police official with his other comrades came to her house and abused her and hurled threats with dire consequences if dogs were not given to him.

She said he went to the SHO for registration of a case against the ASI but her complaint was not entertained.