April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 16: Suppression of Terrorism Activities (STA) court judge Farooq Ali Channa on Wednesday acquitted Pakistan People’s Party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in a case relating to the murder of Alam Khan Baloch, a former bureaucrat, and his gunman Imdad Almani, for lack of evidence. The case had been pending for 11 years.

Mr Zardari’s counsel, Yusuf Leghari, who was assisted by Abu Bakar Zardari, Hashim Leghari and Rahila Memon, had filed an application under sections 249-A read with section 265-K criminal procedure code 1898 on Tuesday.

No one represented the complainant’s side.

Mr Leghari said Mr Zardari was in prison at the time of the murder. Prosecution did not produce him before a trial court and even the charge had not been framed, he said, adding that no progress was made in the case all these 11 years.

He contended that there was no evidence, direct or circumstantial, oral or documentary or any other material available on record, to establish any abetment or instigation to any person to do any act or enter into a conspiracy with any person or persons to commit the said offence.

Commenting on the verdict, Sardar Usman Almani, elder son of Alam Baloch, said that his family and tribe would hold a meeting to decide whether to file an appeal against Mr Zardari’s acquittal in the case.

Talking to Dawn on Wednesday night, he said that no notice had been issued to him on the acquittal application. “There is the dying declaration of my father and what sort of evidence does the court require now,” he asked.