KARACHI, Nov 4: Additional District and Sessions Judge Aftab Ahmed on Wednesday summoned two accused in the Murtaza Bhutto murder case for Thursday.

On the previous hearing, the court had directed four accused – the then Karachi DIG, Shoaib Suddle, the former director-general of the Intelligence Bureau, Masood Sharif, then ASP Rai Mohammed Tahir and police officer Abdul Basit – to appear in court on Nov 4.

The four accused had been exempted from personal appearance a couple of years ago.

However, when the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, only two accused, Rai Mohammed Tahir and Abdul Basit, appeared in court. The judge directed Mr Suddle, who is currently Federal Tax Ombudsman and also headed the Intelligence Bureau at one time, and Mr Sharif to appear in court on Thursday (today).

The court had summoned Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Farooq Sheikh on previous hearings and directed him to appear in court along with the statements of witnesses recorded under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code. However, he sent an application requesting the court to condone his absence since he was unwell.

Mir Murtaza Bhutto, the chief of the Shaheed Bhutto faction of the Pakistan People’s Party, his close aide Ashique Jatoi, and his six comrades were shot dead in an alleged police encounter near his Clifton residence on Sept 20, 1996.

Shoaib Suddle, Wajid Durrani, Masood Sharif, Shahid Hayat, Rai Mohammed Tahir, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, Agha Mohammed Jameel and other policemen are facing trial in the case. President Asif Ali Zardari was also one of the accused in the case, but the court acquitted him for want of evidence.

Meanwhile, the same court directed a man facing trial in a robbery case to produce his national identity card in court on Nov 10.

Farooq has been charged with robbing a jeweller in 2004 within the remit of the Model Colony police station. The police arrested him, but later he was released on bail.

A case (FIR 104/04) was registered against the accused under Section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Model Colony police station.

While recording his statement in court on Wednesday, he failed to produce any document to prove that he was a citizen of Pakistan. He requested the court to give him some time.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate (east) remanded a former section officer in the provincial agriculture department in judicial custody till Nov 12.

The suspect, Ilyas, was arrested on Oct 30. A case was registered against him under Section 324 (attempt to commit murder), 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Darakhshan police station on the compliant of one Rasheed, who is said to be a personal assistant of the provincial minister for Culture and Tourism, Sassui Palejo.

The complainant stated that the suspect had allegedly kidnapping Ameer Ali, robbed him and tried to kill him.

Earlier, the suspect had reportedly written letters and emails to Ms Palejo and he was reportedly terminated on same grounds.
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