KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday acquitted two suspects, who have been sentenced to death in the Safoora bus carnage case, in a case related to an attack on a private school in 2013.

Saad Aziz, alias Tin Tin alias John, and Tahir Hussain Minhas, alias Saeen, were booked for allegedly hurling a hand grenade at the school in North Nazimabad in March 2013.

The ATC-XVII judge, who is conducting trial in the judicial complex inside the Central Jail Karachi, announced the order after recording evidence of the witnesses and hearing concluding arguments from both sides.

During a cross examination, defence counsel Mohammad Jiwani argued that the prosecution had examined four witnesses, who were all policemen. He further argued that there was not a single independent witness in the case, filed on behalf of the state.

He contended that the investigating officer produced CCTV footage, showing two pillion-riding attackers hurling a hand grenade that damaged the boundary wall of the school, but none of them could be clearly identified to determine that they were his clients.

The defence counsel argued that there was no evidence to connect his clients to the commission of the alleged offence and pleaded to the court to acquit them of all charges levelled against them on the basis of mala fide intentions on behalf of the police.

The special public prosecutor claimed that there was ample evidence available on record to establish the role of the suspects in the attack on the school building, which had spread panic and terror. He pleaded to the court to convict them in accordance with the law.

Saad Aziz, Tahir Minhas and other members of a group inspired by the militant Islamic State group were sentenced to death by a military court in cases related to the Safoora bus carnage and murder of rights activist Sabeen Mahmud. In April, an ATC had acquitted them in a case of attempt to murder and encounter with law enforcers for lack of evidence.

Benazir Bhutto’s cousin acquitted

An antiterrorism court on Saturday acquitted a close aide of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in two cases pertaining to explosives and illicit weapons.

Police claimed to have arrested Mushtaq Ali Bhutto, said to be a cousin of the assassinated chairperson of the PPP, who had also served as an adviser during one of her stints as premier, on July 19, 2017 in a Gulshan-i-Iqbal locality for allegedly keeping explosive material and an unlicensed weapon.

The judge of the ATC-XVIII, who is conducting trial inside the Central Jail Karachi, announced the verdict after recording evidence of the witnesses and concluding arguments from both sides. The court noted that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the suspect and acquitted him of the charges.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018