KARACHI: An antiterrorism court (ATC) on Monday acquitted three men in a sectarian killing case for lack of evidence against them.

The three accused — Muhammad Haider alias Chhota, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi alias Police Wala and Muhammad Kamran alias Pathan — were charged with killing two activists of the banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) in a targeted attack in North Karachi in 2018.

The ATC-I judge, who conducted the trial in the Judicial Complex inside the Central Prison, heard arguments from the prosecutor and defence counsel Abid Zaman and Osama Ali and ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused persons beyond a shadow of a doubt.

According to the prosecution, on Aug 24, 2018, the accused person gunned down Muhammad Saleem, 43, and Muhammad Arshad, 35 and injured Muhammad Azam, 25, when they were on their way home after offering Friday prayer at a mosque near Nagan Chowrangi.

In 2019, the accused were arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department, which claimed that they were associated with the outlawed Sipah-i-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP).

A case was registered at the New Karachi police station under Section 302 (premediated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026