KARACHI, Aug 26: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Wahid Bux Brohi and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery, on Tuesday disposed of an appeal of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists and ordered their release.

Mohammad Ejaz and Mohammad Ishtiaq were sentenced to nine years imprisonment and a fine of Rs30,000 each by the special judge of a suppression of terrorist activities court (West) on April 10 in a police encounter case.

As per the FIR lodged in Orangi Town police station on Feb 16, 1996, the police got information that some armed activists of the MQM were present in Farooq Colony, Orangi Town Sector 11.

As the police reached on spot, the suspects started firing and tried to flee. The police returned the fire killing six of the activists — Hasan Akhtar, Mustaqeem, Shahid, Farooq, Nazir Ahmed and Muhammad Yaqoob. The applicants and two others were arrested.

Advocates Waqar Shah and Dilawar Hussain Khattana, counsel for the appellants, did not press the appeal on merit but requested that the benefit of section 382-B CrPC may be allowed to the appellants and their sentence be reduced. State’s counsel Javed Akhtar raised no objection to the reduction of sentence. — PPI