KARACHI, May 18: An anti-terrorism court put off on Thursday the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case against the sacked provincial minister, Imtiaz Shaikh, and others after recording the statement of the victim.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-V fixed Saturday for the next hearing after special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined victim Umer Iqbal, who was also cross-examined by the defence counsel Shaukat Zubedi and M R Syed.

Mehfooz Ahmed, the only arrested accused in the case, Imtiaz Shaikh and co-accused Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehmood Zakir, Mohammad Ashfaq and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui were booked by the Korangi police on March 28 on the complaint of Zafar Iqbal, who alleged that his 17-year-old son was kidnapped on June 28, 2003, on the directives of the sacked minister.

Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui is on bail and the remaining accused have been declared absconders.

The complainant alleged that the accused kidnapped Umer Iqbal from his house in Qayyumabad on the directives of the sacked minister and they demanded Rs1.5 million from his wife for the release of his son. He further alleged that the accused released his son after receiving Rs700,000 at the house of Imtiaz Shaikh.

The victim deposed that five armed men, including Mehfooz, came to his house around 10pm and kidnapped him at gunpoint. He said he was released after the captivity of 15 days.