KARACHI, Dec 18: An anti-terrorism court heard on Monday partial arguments in a sectarian murder case against the chief of banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Akram Lahori and his three associates.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-5, who is conducting the trial inside Central Prison, fixed Wednesday for hearing further arguments by defence and prosecution attorneys.

LJ chief Akram Lahori, Ataullah, Mohammed Azam and Malik Tassaduq, are being retried for killing Seth Ramzan Ali, owner of Pak Iranian Tea Company, at his outlet in Saddar on February 11, 2005. Ehsan Ali, an employee of the company and Mohammed Firdous, a customer, were also injured in the attack. One of the attackers also hurled an explosive device devastating victim’s shop.

Sarfaraz Tanoli, counsel for Malik Tassadduq, forwarded final arguments in defence of his client.

M. R. Syed, counsel for the remaining three accused, and special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum will make their final arguments on the next date of hearing.

The same court had earlier on November 15, 2003 sentenced the four LJ men to death in the instant case. The convicts filed an appeal against their conviction in the Sindh High Court, which remanded the case back to the trial court directing that case be retried from the stage of recording the statements of the accused.

The ATC-5 recorded statements of the accused afresh and then started hearing final arguments.

Besides condemning the four accused to death, the judge had earlier also sentenced Mohammed Azam to suffer rigorous imprisonment for life for hurling explosive in the shop.

Special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum had examined in all 16 prosecution witnesses including two injured witnesses.