KARACHI, June 13: An eye-witness in the Mehmoodabad killing case against the chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and three others identified on Friday the four defendants in an anti-terrorism court.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who is holding trial inside the juvenile jail, fixed June 18 for the next hearing after the witness, Iftikhar Haider, deposed in the court.

LJ chief Akram Lahori, Mohammed Azam, Attaullah and Malik Tasadduq were charged with killing six faithfuls and injuring five others in an attack on April 10, 2001, on Ali Murtaza Imambargah in Mehmoodabad.

The people were offering Maghreb prayers when they were sprayed with bullets.

M. R. Syed is representing accused Lahori, Azam and Ata, and Sarfaraz Tanoli is appearing for accused Tasadduq. Special public prosecutor, Syed Nadeem Hussain Shah, is appearing on behalf of the state.

Prosecution witness Iftikhar Ahmed submitted that the faithfuls were in “Sajda” when he joined the prayers. He said he saw accused Ata and Azam, carrying Kalashnikov rifles, opening fire on faithfuls.