KARACHI, Feb 18: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday extended physical remand of three suspects until Feb 22 in a case pertaining to the murder of three lawyers.

Mohammad Tauseef Ansari, Salahuddin and Maulana Muhammad Rashid, said to be associated with the proscribed Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, have been booked for killing three lawyers and leaving another wounded on sectarian grounds within the remit of the Aram Bagh police station on Jan 25.

The police produced the suspects in court on Saturday and the investigation officer informed the court that the suspects were not disclosing any information about their absconding accomplices.

The IO and the prosecutor requested the court to extend the physical remand of the suspects since the absconders in the case were still at large.

Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso of the ATC-I allowed the plea and handed over the custody of the suspects back to police for four days on remand.

The suspects were first given in the police custody on Feb 9 on remand.

According to the prosecution, the three lawyers - Badar Munir Jafri, his son, Gohar Shakil Jafri, and his nephew, Kafil Jafri - were killed and their associate, Babar Ali Shah, was wounded in an attack on Jan 25, 2012.

The victims were on their way home from the city courts when armed men intercepted their vehicle on Maulana Din Mohammad Wafai Road near Pakistan Chowk and opened indiscriminate fire on them.

A case (FIR No.27/2012) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, on the complaint of the wounded victim at the Aram Bagh police station.

Afzal Baloch and Mehmood Babar are absconders in the case.

Meanwhile, physical remand of the same suspects was also extended until Feb 20 in other cases pertaining to encounter and possession of unlicensed weapons and explosive material cases.

The crime investigation department claimed to have apprehended the suspects on Feb 2 after an exchange of fire near a truck stand on the Hawkesbay Road and found illicit weapons in their possession.

The police claimed that the suspects also led them to a couple of places where they had kept arms and explosive substances.

A total of 10 cases (FIR from 80/11 to 89/11) were registered under Sections 353 (criminal assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 and 34 of the PPC, Sections 13-D and 13-E of the Arms Ordinance and Sections 4/5 of the Explosive Substance Act at the CID police station.