KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday sentenced two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists to life imprisonment after they were found guilty of killing two police officers.

Obaid alias K2 and Nadir Shah were found guilty of killing sub-inspectors Mohammad Rehan and Mohammad Nisar in March 2000 in the Solider Bazaar area. Both the accused were among around 100 persons picked up by Rangers personnel during a pre-dawn raid on and around Nine Zero, the then headquarters of the MQM (now known as the MQM-London) in Azizabad on March 11, 2015.

The ATC-VII judge, who conducted the trial at the judicial complex inside the central prison, read out the conviction order. Each of the convicts were also ordered to pay Rs200,000 to the legal heirs of the slain officers as compensation.

The prosecution said that the complainant, a brother of one of the slain police officers, had named the two accused along with their absconding associates, Asif Danan, Javed Shah Puri, Abid, Shahid and Javed Akhtar Siddiqui, in the FIR.

It was mentioned in the FIR that the police officers had taken part in the operation clean-up in Karachi and that the nominated suspects had subjected them to death threats.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at Solider Bazaar police station. The convicts are also facing trials in some other cases.

DSP’s remand extended

The administrative judge of antiterrorism courts on Wednesday extended physical remand of a deputy superintendent of police in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

On the last day of his first remand, the investigating officer again produced DSP Qamar Ahmed (said to be a close aide to the absconding Malir SP, Rao Anwar) in the court and sought extension in his custody. The court extended the remand for another three days.

The DSP was arrested on Feb 20 for his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of Naqeebullah in an alleged staged encounter on Jan 13 in Shah Latif Town.

Sub-inspector Mohammad Yasin, assistant sub-inspectors Supurd Hussain and Allahyar, head constables Khizar Hayat and Mohammad Iqbal and constables Arshad Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Abdul Ali and Ghulam Nazak have already been remanded to prison in the present case.

Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan, two SHOs and 10 other policemen have been named as absconders in the case.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2018