KARACHI: Three antiterrorism courts are being shifted to the judicial complex built inside the Karachi central prison, it emerged on Sunday.

The ATC Nos I, II and III are currently operating in the building of the Municipal Training and Research Institute (MTRI) in Clifton.

Sources said that the judges had paid a visit to the new building of the judicial complex on Saturday.

They added that the process of shifting case files was likely to start from next week.

Currently, various terrorism-related cases, including some high-profile ones, are pending trial before the three ATCs in Clifton.

Court officials said the high-profile cases include the Naqeeb Ullah Mehsood case, the extrajudicial killing case of the aspiring model and three others in a staged encounter, against suspended SSP Rao Anwar; seven cases relating to incidents of violence on May 12, 2007 and hate speech cases against leaders and workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

A case against Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain and leaders of the MQM, Pak Sarzameen Party, Pasban and others for allegedly providing shelter and treatment to suspected terrorists and gangsters is also pending trial at one of the ATCs.

Earlier, ATCs were shifted to the judicial complex inside the prison in the wake of growing concerns regarding security of the judges, prosecution witnesses, prosecutors, investigating officers, accused persons and the complainants.

The judicial complex inside the central prison houses 17 ATCs and these three courts were operating in the MTRI building as the renovation work was being carried out, judicial staff said.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2018