KARACHI, March 25: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi on Saturday granted prosecution plea for re-opening of prosecution side in US consulate car bombing case and summoned two magistrates who had recorded confessional statements of convicted activists of banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami.

Naveedul Hasan, earlier declared absconding co-accused, is being tried for car bombing outside US consulate in Karachi in June 2002.

The accused denied charges.

Special Pubic Prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa filed application under Section 540 CrPC seeking re-opening of prosecution side for re-examination of Magistrates Rehmatullah Moryo and Fareed Anwar Qazi, who recorded confessional statement of convicted activists of Harkat Imran, Haneef and Mohammad Asraf in the case.

SSP contended that magistrates were material witnesses of the case and their re-examination will help adjudicate the case.

ATC, headed by Judge Ghulam Ali A Samtio, after allowing the prosecution application summoned the above mentioned witnesses on March 30.

Earlier, the trial court, on April 14 2003 convicted four activists of the banned organization Imran, Hanif, Sharib Arsalan Farooqui and Hafiz Zubair for killing 12 people and injuring 43 others in car bombing outside US consulate in June 2002.

The appeals of convicts are pending in the Sindh High Court.—PPI