KARACHI, July 14: The leaders and workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi, who are being tried for hatching a conspiracy to kill President Pervez Musharraf, denied the charges as an anti-terrorism court indicted them in the case on Saturday.

Judge Ghulam Ali Santio of the ATC-1, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, fixed July 24 for recording the statements of the prosecution witnesses after the six defendants pleaded not guilty.

Aalmi chief Mohammad Imran, his deputy Mohammad Hanif, Mohammad Ashraf, Waseem Akhtar, Muhammad Jamil and Arsalan alias Sharib have been charged with hatching a conspiracy to blow up the president’s motorcade within the limits of Airport police.

According to the FIR (94/2002) registered on July 9, 2002 at the Airport police station, Imran, Hanif, Waseem Akhtar along with an inspector of Pakistan Rangers, had parked an explosives-laden Suzuki pickup on Sharea Faisal on April 26, 2002.

According to the police, accused Habibullah Khattak, who was given Rs400,000 by the Aalmi leaders, had brought explosives and other weapons. Accused Jamil was allegedly given Rs85,000 for purchasing the pick-up in which the explosives were planted. Accused Kamran who had the remote to blow up the explosives pushed the button several times but the vehicle did not explode.

According to the charge-sheet, Sharib had planted explosives in the vehicle while Naveed and Jamil had assembled the explosive device and its remote control.