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KARACHI, Aug 25: An accountability court in Karachi on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a corruption reference against former Premier Benazir Bhutto as the defence counsel continued arguments.
Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani of the AC-4 fixed Sept 1 for the next hearing when defence counsel Hafeez Lakho would advance further arguments.
The reference against Benazir Bhutto pertained to 1,393 illegal appointments and promotions made against violation of existing rules, regulation and procedure.
Others, charged with corruption and corrupt practices with the former prime minister, included Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Umer Farooq, former PIA chief, Naheed Khan, Ghulam Hussain Kazi, Ghulam Qadir Shah Jamote, Siraj Shamsudin and Najamul Hasan.
CONVOY ATTACK CASE: An anti-terrorism court adjourned the hearing of the corps commander’s convoy attack case against 11 workers of the banned Jundullah group on the application of the investigation officer.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 fixed Aug 30 for the next hearing after the court was informed that the prosection witness could not come to attend the proceedings.
The investigation officer told the court that two judicial magistrates, who were to appear as prosecution witnesses, could not come to the court as they were posted in the interior of Sindh for conducting the local bodies polls.
The prosecution, represented by Iqtidar Ali Hashmi and Maula Bux Bhatti, has, so far, examined 19 prosecution witnesses.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoiab Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar, Khalid Rao and Adnan Shah alias Tipu have been charged with a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat on June 10 last year on the old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passerby.
Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
RANSOM CASE: An anti-terrorism court adjourned the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case after recording the statement of the accused.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Aug 27 for the next hearing after statements of Mohammad Sheraz and Iqbal, who have been charged with kidnapping a 10-year-old schoolboy, Anis Ahmed, in Gulberg on April 6.
According to prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Niamat Ali Randhawa, the accused demanded Rs200,000 and 2.5 kgs of gold from victim’s father Nasfis Ahmed, a goldsmith, and received Rs70,000 and a gold biscuit for his release.
