KARACHI Nov 23: The Sindh High Court on Thursday set aside the conviction of nine activists of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami and acquitted them of the honorary Macedonian consulate explosion, killing and dacoity charges.

Syed Sohail Akhtar alias Mustafa, Zafar Iqbal alias Sohail, Naeem Rafi alias Nimi, Mohammad Atif alias Kamran, Mohammad Khalid, Mahmoodullah, Abdul Razzaq alias Bhayya, Samirullah alias Somi and Syed Ahmar Kazmi were sentenced to an aggregate of 60 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi on August 25, 2004.

They were on trial for killing Hameed Masih, Muhammad Asif and Ghazala Parveen on December 5, 2002 in the office of the honorary Macedonian consulate in the Defence Housing Authority, and later destroying the office with an explosive device.—PPI