KARACHI, July 14: An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Thursday directed the counsel of sacked provincial revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh to produce his client before the court on July 30 along with certified copies of his interim bail order, granted by the Sindh High Court. ATC Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch ordered this after hearing an application filed by Imtiaz’s counsel, Fareed Dayo, seeking the recalling of a court order, with regard to 87, 88 of the CrPC, proceeding against Imtiaz Sheikh in a kidnapping for ransom case.

The court was told by the defence counsel that his client was granted interim bail by a division bench of the SHC and the matter was adjourned till Aug 10 for conformation of the bail. He prayed the court to recall its previous order.

The court in a previous hearing had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh and five others absconding co-accused, and had ordered a criminal proceeding against them under the CrPC.

A case was registered against Imtiaz Sheikh and others co-accused Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammad Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui on the complaint of Zafar Iqbal.

They were accused of kidnapping Umer Iqbal, 17, for ransom on June 28, 2003 from Qayyumabad area in Korangi. Mahfooz Ahmed, an alleged associate of Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, was arrested in the case on May 3.

The complainant of the case alleged in the FIR lodged at Korangi police station on March 28, 2005 that the accused had kidnapped his son from his house on the directives of Imtiaz Sheikh and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui, and had demanded his wife to pay Rs1.5 million as ransom.

The abducted was later released after Rs700,000 was paid at the residence of Imtiaz Sheikh in Defence Area in Karachi.—PPI