KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has allowed senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Amir Khan to travel to the United Arab Emirates for renewal of his residential visa of the Gulf state.

Amir Khan along with former in-charge of security of the now sealed MQM headquarters Nine Zero Minhaj Qazi and their absconding accomplices has been charged with providing shelter to wanted criminals at Nine Zero in Azizabad and using them for terrorist activities.

On Thursday, the case was fixed before the ATC-XVII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison.

Amir Khan appeared on bail while detained accused Minhaj Qazi and Raeesuddin were produced from prison.

Advocate Shaukat Hayat moved an application submitting that his client Amir Khan had to travel to Dubai for the purpose of renewal of his residential visa of the Gulf state, since its expiry date was approaching. Therefore, the court was requested to allow the applicant to travel out of the country from April 15 to May 10 and also grant him exemption from personal appearance before the court till then.

Allowing the plea, the judge permitted the MQM leader to travel abroad with the direction to appear on the next date.

Meanwhile, the investigating officer of the case was absent while no prosecution witnesses were produced before the court reportedly due to ongoing lockdown in the city following the spread of coronavirus.

The judge issued a letter to the IO, directing him to appear on the next date and also produce witnesses to record their testimonies against the accused on April 21.

Intizar murder case

An antiterrorism court has issued notices on a bail application filed by a former official of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell in a case pertaining to the murder of a teenager in an alleged ‘staged’ encounter.

Eight ACLC officials, including the then SHO Tariq Mehmood, Inspectors Azhar Ahsan and Tariq Raheem, head constable Shahid and constables Ghulam Abbas, Fawad Khan, Mohammad Daniyal and Bilal Rasheed have been charged with killing 19-year-old student Intizar Ahmed in Defence Housing Authority.

On Thursday, the matter came up before the ATC-XVI judge, who is conducting the trial inside the central jail, when the defence counsel moved a bail application on behalf of accused Tariq Mehmood.

In the plea, the court was requested to grant post-arrest bail to the applicant.

The judge issued notices to the IO and counsel for the parties to advance their arguments on the bail plea and adjourned the hearing till April 15.

In June 2018, the trial court had also dismissed post-arrest bail pleas of two accused persons Tariq Mehmood and former constable Fawad Sherwani.

The court had also recalled the interim pre-arrest bail of former inspector Tariq Raheem, who was sent to jail to face trial.

All undertrial policemen were on May 15 indicted for murdering the student, who was studying in Malaysia, and was visiting his family in DHA, Karachi.

Naqeeb murder case put off

An antiterrorism court on Thursday put off the hearing in the case pertaining to the killing of aspiring Waziristan model Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others in an alleged staged encounter.

Former SSP Rao Anwar, former DSP Qamar Ahmed Shaikh and their 16 subordinates have been charged with kidnapping four men for ransom and then killing them by declaring them militants, foisting fake recoveries of weapons and explosives on them and hiding the evidence of the ‘fake’ encounter in January 2018.

On Thursday, the matter came up before the ATC-III judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, and the accused were produced from prison.

The court was informed that some of the counsel for the parties as well prosecution witnesses could not appear before the court following the ongoing lockdown in the metropolis.

The judge put off hearing till April 29 and directed the IO to ensure appearance of the witnesses on the next date of hearing.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2020