HYDERABAD, July 15: The district and sessions judge, Hussain Bux Khoso, here on Tuesday stopped proceedings against an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in two separate cases for continued absence of prosecution witnesses.

Both the cases were registered in 1990 at the City police station.

An FIR was registered under sections 307, 353, 427, 148 and 149, PPC, against Naeem Ustad, former Muttahida zonal committee member, and Shakeel. Charge-sheet in the case was submitted in the court on Nov 20, 1995.

The prosecution witnesses of the case included sub-inspectors of police, Sundha Khan, Mohammad Khan Jatoi and Mohammad Yaqoob, police head constables, Abdul Aziz and Noor Khan, police constable Murad Ali and Bashir Ahmad.

Naeem was granted bail in the matter.

The process servers returned the process, declaring whereabouts of the prosecution witnesses as unknown.

The second FIR was registered against Naeem Ustad and Nadeemul Islam under sections 147, 148, 149, 307 and 353, PPC. The charge-sheet was submitted on Aug 31, 1995.

Nadeemul Islam was declared proclaimed offender and Naeem was on bail.

ASI Faisal, the process server, returned the process to the court, saying the prosecution witness, Haji Aziz Jehanzeb, had expired. The court was informed that the other prosecution witnesses, including ASI Imtiaz Ali, police head constable Mohammad Ramzan, Mukhtar Ahmad and police constable Mohammad Ramzan, were working with the Eagle squad in Karachi and there current addresses were not known. Likewise, addresses of sub-inspector Mohammad Ashraf and ASI Basheer Ahmad were not know as they had retired from service and had shifted to Punjab.

The court said the accused should be released till the prosecution witnesses were produced.

Meanwhile, the court issued notice to the SHO of the Bulri Shah Karim police station and a policeman, Ali Bux Sher, on a complaint filed by Mohammad Yaqoob.

The applicant told the court that a dispute over a piece of land existed between him and respondent Qazi Mohammad Qasim Burdi, a resident of the Pir Kot village, Hyderabad taluka.

He said at the insistence of Qasim Burdi, his three brothers, Faqir Mohammad alias Porho, Sadiq and Leemoo, were detained by Ali Bux Sher, who claimed to be an inspector at the Bulri Shah Karim police station, without any reason.

However, Leemo was released on July 10 with directives to bring Rs80,000 for release of Faqir Mohammad and Sadiq.

The applicant said the matter was brought to the notice of the DPO of Hyderabad but to no avail.

He prayed the court to ensure release of his brothers who were in police custody for the last 17 days.