KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday issued a notice to the prosecution on the acquittal applications of former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza in three cases.

The disgruntled and disowned leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and his dozens of aides were booked for allegedly storming a police station in Badin, abusing police officials, forcibly shutting down markets in the district, trying to kill two shopkeepers, rioting, blocking a road and damaging property in May 2015.

Advocate Jawaid Mir, the counsel for Dr Mirza, moved applications under Section 265-K (power of court to acquit accused at any stage) of the Criminal Procedure Code in the three cases and contended that the alleged incidents reported in the FIRs had not taken palace and the applicant was framed in the politically motivated cases.

The ATC-I judge issued notice to the prosecutor on the acquittal applications for March 11, while the hearing of the main cases was adjourned till March 25 for indictment.

Meanwhile, the former home minister also moved an application before a judicial magistrate (south) seeking his acquittal in a case pertaining to forcibly climbing on an armoured personnel carrier of police to deliver his speech and allegedly threatened police officers after appearing before an ATC in May 2015.

‘Illegal immigrant’ remanded

A judicial magistrate on Saturday remanded a suspected illegal immigrant to prison till March 7.

The Federal Investigation Agency submitted that Abdul Qadir was arrested on Friday for illegally staying in the country for around 30 years.

The investigating officer produced the suspect before the court for remand and contended that he was an Indian national and came to Pakistan through Wagah border in 1986 and started living here after obtaining a fake identity card.

The magistrate sent the suspect to prison on judicial remand till March 7 and directed the IO to submit investigation report till next hearing.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017