KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has dismissed bail applications of three suspects in a case pertaining to the murder of leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Ali Raza Abidi.

The Counter-Terrorism Department had arrested Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Haseeb, Mohammad Ghazali and Abu Bakar in March and charge-sheeted them for their alleged involvement in the murder of former lawmaker Abidi, who was gunned by motorcyclists outside his residence in Defence Housing Authority in December last year.

Farooq, Ghazali and Abu Bakar through their counsel moved bail applications and after hearing both sides, the judge of ATC-XI, who is hearing the case at the judicial complex inside the central prison, dismissed the applications.

In an earlier hearing, the ATC had also dismissed an application of suspects seeking transfer of the murder case to a sessions court for trial.

The CTD contended that the suspects were affiliated with criminal gangs operating in Lyari and had shown Bilal, Hasnain, Faizan and Ghulam Mustafa as absconders in the charge sheet.

According to the prosecution, 46-year-old Abidi, former MNA and leader of a faction of the MQM, was shot dead by armed motorcyclists in an attack on his vehicle near his residence in Defence Housing Authority, Phase-V on Dec 25 last year.

Remand extended in anchorperson’s murder case

A judicial magistrate on Saturday extended the physical remand of a suspect till Monday in a case pertaining to the double murder of television anchorperson Mureed Abbas and another person allegedly over a financial dispute.

The court directed the investigating officer to submit a report about the health of the suspect, Atif Zaman, who is currently under treatment at a private hospital, after his examination by a medico-legal officer till July 22.

The court also allowed a request of the defence to keep the suspect at the private hospital for treatment till Monday after an uncle of the suspect assured the court of the payment of the bill to the medical facility.

Earlier, the IO had submitted that the management of the private hospital had asked them to shift the suspect to a government hospital since the dues of his medical treatment had not been paid.

Meanwhile, the magistrate has also recorded the statements of four prosecution witnesses, including two employees of the suspect, under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code and provided an opportunity to defence lawyer Munsif Jan for cross-examination as the suspect was not available in court.

Zaman has been booked for allegedly killing his business partners Mureed Abbas and Khizar Hayat in the Khayaban-i-Bukhari area of Defence Housing Authority in the night of July 9. The police said the suspect was arrested in wounded condition after the incident as he made a failed attempt to commit suicide to avoid his arrest.

The suspect has been booked in the double murder case at the Darakhshan police station on a complaint of Mureed Abbas’s wife as well as for attempting to commit suicide.

PTI MPA moves SHC for payment of dues

The MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf Khurrum Sher Zaman on Saturday filed a petition in the Sindh High Court and submitted that the provincial assembly had passed a bill in 2017 increasing financial perks and privileges of MPAs, but the same have not been paid yet.

Impleading the chief minister, chief secretary, speaker and others as respondents, the PTI lawmaker sought directives for the respondents to pay the amount in question.

Conviction

A model court on Saturday sentenced a man to life imprisonment and acquitted his brother in a murder case.

The model court (West) found Mohammad Asif guilty of killing Salman during a robbery at a mobile shop in Baldia Town in 2011. However, Mohammad Arif, brother of the convict, was exonerated for lack of evidence.

The court also convicted Asif for robbery and other offences as well as imposing fines.

However, all sentences will run concurrently.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2019