KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday set aside the conviction of a man who was sentenced to collective 24 years in prison in explosives substance and illicit weapon case.

An appellate bench of the high court acquitted Ali Raza in the case while allowing his appeal against the conviction.

He was awarded 24-year jail by an anti-terrorism court on charges of possessing hand grenades and weapon without licence in 2004.

According to the prosecution, the suspect was arrested by the law enforcers near Manghopir, Gutter Baghicha. The convict though his counsel challenged the punishment awarded by the trial court and submitted that the prosecution had failed to submit any concrete evidence against him.

The defence counsel argued that the trial court did not follow due procedure of law while convicting Ali Raza. The court was requested to set-aside the judgment of the trial court and to order the release of the convict.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the SHC bench set aside the punishment and ruled that the convict should be released if not arrested in any other case.

MQM worker’s bail plea rejected

Meanwhile, a two-judge bench of the high court turned down the bail application of Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker Zeeshan Ahmed in a case pertaining to killing of a man after kidnapping.

Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, a two-judge bench heard the arguments of Zeeshan’s lawyer, who requested the court to grant his client bail as, according to him, he had nothing to do with the charges levelled against him.

The counsel requested the court to release the suspect on bail.

According to the prosecution, the accused along with his accomplices was involved in kidnapping a citizen namely Kashif and later killing him in 2008.

He said that Zeeshan was an employee of a private bank’s Karachi University branch and was arrested by the Rangers in a targeted operation. The prosecutor maintained that the case was currently being tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court; therefore the bail application should be rejected.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the bench rejected the bail application and directed the trial court to decide the case on merit within two months.

Hearing put off against CTD

Another bench of the high court put off the hearing of a constitutional petition filed against the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials for allegedly registering fake cases against innocent citizens and keeping them in illegal detention.

The petition was filed by three citizens — Syed Waqas Hussain, Aziz Gul and Khanzada — who informed the court that they were kept in illegal detention by the CTD.

They submitted that a magistrate had recovered all of them in a raid conducted on the directives of a sessions court.

“Instead of releasing, the CTD had registered fake cases on terrorism charges against us and got all of us remanded,” they added. The court was requested to pass strict orders against CTD officials for acting unlawfully.

The bench adjourned the hearing to Feb 6 as the prosecution sought time to submit its reply.

During the previous hearing, the SHC had ordered departmental action against delinquent CTD officials for keeping the citizens unlawfully.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2018