KARACHI, Nov 18: An anti-terrorism court on Monday allowed police to grill an under-trial prisoner on the premises of the Karachi central prison in a case pertaining to an attack on a police convoy.

The investigation officer moved an application in court to interrogate Shahnawaz alias Ajmal Pahari for his alleged involvement in an armed attack on the convoy of CID SP Mohammad Aslam Khan, better known as Chaudhry Aslam, in January 2006 in Gizri that left two police officials dead.

Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III allowed the investigation officer to interrogate the UTP for a couple of hours on Nov 19 on the jail premises.

Mohammad Ijaz Gorchani was arrested in the present case, while Anwar Qaimkhani, Asif, Tariq, Chacha, Munna, Ali and Sajid were absconders.

A case (FIR 22/2006) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (hurt), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of pubic functions), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Gizri police station.

Lyari operation cases

The same court fixed Nov 21 for indictment of a member of national assembly and an alleged gangster in some cases related to the 2012 Lyari operation.

Alleged Lyari gangster Amin Buledi was booked in nine cases for allegedly attacking the police during an operation conducted in Lyari in April-May 2012 in which some policemen and passers-by were killed.

The head of the proscribed People’s Aman Committee, Uzair Jan Baloch, and others have already been declared proclaimed offenders in these cases.

Detained PPP MNA from Lyari Shahjehan Baloch was also booked in some of the cases.

On a previous hearing, the lawyer for the MNA moved an application for bifurcation of the trial on the ground that the cases against him were at the final stage and the trial against suspect Amin Buledi be conducted separately.

However, the counsel withdrew the plea after the prosecutor said that there was no provision in the law to separate the trial of two detained suspects.

The court adjourned the hearing till Nov 21 for framing amended charges.

Police officers’ murder case

An anti-terrorism court remanded on Monday two suspects in prison in the murder case of as many police officers.

Azhar Mehmood and Mohammad Asim have been booked for their alleged involvement in the murder of station house officer of the Sir Syed police station Inspector Syed Irfan Haider and his friend Sub-Inspector Shahbaz Ali of the New Karachi police station. The two police officers were gunned down near the Anda Mor in North Karachi on Oct 9.

After expiry of their physical remand, the police produced the suspects in the anti-terrorism court-II. The judge sent them to prison on judicial remand till Dec 3 and directed the investigating officer to submit a charge-sheet on next hearing.

The police had arrested Azhar and Asim on Oct 15 and 28, respectively, and claimed that during interrogations the suspects disclosed their involvement in the double murder case.

A case (FIR 384/2013) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Sir Syed police station.