KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday acquitted two men in a kidnapping and murder case.

The accused, Hanif Memon and Abdul Khaliq, were exonerated of the charges of kidnapping, torturing and killing Syed Zahir within the remit of the Baghdadi police station in November 2011.

On Saturday, the ATC-III judge, who conducted trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against the accused persons beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt and acquitted them of the same.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons had kidnapped Khaliq in the Ranchhore Lane area, subjected him to severe torture and then dumped his body stuffed in a gunny bag in the Baghdadi area.

Counter-Terrorism Department officials had arrested them in Thatta district.

Defence counsel Shaukat Hayat argued that the accused persons were the political agents of the Shirazi Brothers and had been implicated in the present case on the basis of political enmity at the behest of the then ruling political party in the province, the Pakistan Peoples Party.

He further argued that the prosecution failed to prove any enmity of his clients with the victim, adding that it also failed to establish the charges of the alleged kidnapping, torture and dumping of the body against them. He pleaded to acquit them.

On the other hand, the state prosecutor contended that the prosecution had enough evidence available on record to prove the allegations against both the accused persons, who were involved in the commission of the alleged offences.

A case was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Baghdadi police station.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2019