KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has called a report from the Sindh inspector general of prisons about non-provision of facilities to the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair Baloch at the Mitha Ram Hostel.

The detention facility is being maintained by Sindh Rangers and Uzair has been kept there following his conviction by a military court in April 2020 in an espionage case.

Uzair, the alleged Lyari gangster, is facing trial of several criminal cases of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom, extortion rackets and assaults on the law enforcers during 2012 operation against criminals in Lyari.

During a recent hearing of famous triple murder case before the ATC-X, accused Uzair Baloch pointed out to the judge that earlier he had moved an application on April 15 regarding non-provision of facilities to him as per jail manual at the Mitha Ram Hostel, currently being used as a sub-jail by the paramilitary force.

He further said that such application was still pending before the court and pleaded to issue necessary directives to the Sindh IG Prisons to ensure provision of facilities to him according to his entitlement under the jail manual.

Granting his request, the judge directed the office to call a report from IG Prisons regarding issue in hand.

On the other hand, Rangers special public prosecutor Muhammad Sajjad moved an application informing that Rana Khalid Hussain, who had been assigned the present case, was on general adjournment till July 29 as he had proceeded abroad to perform Hajj. He requested to adjourn the matter.

While granting adjournment ‘subject to proof’, the judge also directed the office to issue a letter to concerned authority for providing proper substitute of Mr Hussain and inform the court that who would pursue the matter in his absence so as to avoid any further delay in the matter.

The judge also directed the prosecution to produce its witnesses on the next date for recording their testimonies and fixed the matter on July 10.

Earlier, Rangers personnel produced accused Uzair Baloch from the Mitha Ram sub-jail while Zakir Baloch and Zubair Baloch were produced from the Karachi central prison and two other accused, Akram Baloch and former PPP lawmaker Shahjahan Baloch, appeared on bail.

Uzair Baloch and other accused had been charged with murdering Arshad Pappu and his brother Arafat and an aide Jumma Shera in 2013.

According to the prosecution, Arshad Pappu, with his brother, confidant and 10-year-old son, had gone to attend the party of a friend in Defence Housing Authority on the night of March 16, 2013.

The boy came home around midnight and informed his mother that around 20 men in two vehicles came to the flat in the DHA and took away his father and the other two persons, it added. A case was registered under relevant sections of the law at the Kalakot police station on the directive of the Supreme Court.

Arshad Pappu was booked in around 60 cases, but he was never convicted in any case since most of the key witnesses either did not turn up to testify against him or turned hostile before the courts.

Pappu was released in the middle of February 2012 from a prison in Balochistan following his acquittal in what appeared to be the last case against him pertaining to the murder of Faiz Mohammad, aka Mama Faizu, a transporter and father of Uzair Baloch.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2023