KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Thursday acquitted the chief of the defunct Peoples Amn Committee Uzair Jan Baloch along with 10 others in the cases pertaining to armed attack on policemen.

Baloch, the alleged Lyari kingpin, was charged with attacking a police party along with his comrades, including Mohammad Nawaz, Hassan Ali, alias Hassoo, Abdul Ghaffar, Zahoor Ahmed, Zahid, Abdul Wahab, alias Wahab and Javed, alias Petrolwala in Chakiwara in April 2012.

On Thursday, the additional district and sessions’ judge (South), Faraz Ahmed Chandio, pronounced his judgement reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge noted that the prosecution failed to establish the charges against the accused, thus acquitted them.

According to the prosecution, Police Sub-Inspector Madah Hussain along with a police party was on patrol when the accused started shelling and firing on them with the intention to kill them.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the law at the Chakiwara police station.

In the meanwhile, the same court acquitted Uzair Baloch and two other accused persons in an identical case.

Uzair Baloch, Mohammad Shahid and Saddam were charged with attacking a police party with intention to kill them in Kalakot in April 2012.

According to the prosecution, an assistant sub-inspector, Abdul Waheed, along with a police party conducted a raid on a tip-off regarding presence of the accused persons, who allegedly opened fire in an attempt to avoid their arrest.

In the exchange of fire, an accused was killed while ASI Waheed received bullet wounds, but survived the attack.

Police claimed to have allegedly recovered one Kalashnikov, one 9mm calibre pistol and walkie-talkie from their possession.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2021