KARACHI: An antiterrorism court (ATC) has sentenced a man, said to be a ‘drug peddler’, to 16-year imprisonment in a case pertaining to a police encounter.

The ATC-XV judge found accused Mir Muhammad Bux Dashti guilty of attacking law enforcement personnel last August within the jurisdiction of the Pak Colony police station.

The court, after conducting the trial at the Judicial Complex inside the Central Prison Karachi, sentenced the man to five-year imprisonment each on three counts of attempted murder, act of terrorism and possession of illegal weapons, and one year for assaulting a public servant.

“All the sentences shall run concurrently. The accused is also entitled to the benefit of Section 382-B CrPC,” the court ruled.

Additionally, fine him Rs150,000 and in case of default, the accused would have to serve additional nine months in prison.

Regarding the absconding co-accused, Ali alias Piru, Riasat Jadgal, Noman Sindhi, and Jahangir, the court ruled that their case would remain on the dormant file.

The court observed that it was important to note that in the metropolitan city, crimes, such as snatching of mobile phones, motorcycles and other valuables at gunpoint, were increasing daily. Recently, more than 44 people, including young boys, men and women, have been murdered during robberies.

He added: “It has also been observed that during the course of encounters, police personnel have also been murdered by the accused persons. In such circumstances of the law and order situation, if the criminals are not punished in such type of cases, the offences of police encounter will increase in future.”

According to state prosecutor Ghulam Abbas Dalwani, police received a tip-off about a firefight between two groups, including Riasat Jadgal and Mir Muhammad Bux Dashti, over sale of drugs. When they went to control the situation, the accused opened fire on them. In the ensuing exchange, two accused were killed on the spot and the accused was apprehended with illicit weapons while the others fled.

During the trial, Mr Dalwani argued that the crime records produced in the court established Dashti’s involvement in various criminal cases. On the other hand, the defence counsel highlighted deficiencies in the prosecution’s case, but the court rejected their plea, ruling that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against the accused.

Separate FIRs were registered at the Pak Colony police station under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 23(1) (a) of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024