HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals of Sindh government against 41 respondents including Dr Qadir Magsi, chairman of Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party in Hyder­abad carnage case (Sept 30, 1988).

The appeals were filed in 2003 and 2004 by Sindh government following acquittal of the accused by Additional District Judge-VI on July 25, 2003.

Ayaz Tunio, Yusuf Leghari and Hidayatullah Abbasi advocates argued on behalf of respondents that the trial court had acquitted the respondents after examining 192 witnesses who did not support prosecution’s case.

Additional Prosecutor General Meeral Shah said that the trial court had not appreciated the witnesses’ testimony properly. The respondents inclu­ded Dr Qadir Magsi, Ghulam Hyder Shahani, Dr Qadeer Memon, Amir Bux Bhambhro and others.

On Sept 30, 1988 unidentified armed men in vehicles struck different parts of Hyderabad simultaneously and fired upon the general public killing more than 250 people within 15 minutes.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2017