KARACHI, Feb 26: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday recorded the statement of the investigation officer in the double murder case of Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman and his brother Irshad.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, recorded the statement of investigation officer Sohail Solehri of Preedy police station. The IO testified that he had recorded the statements of all the prosecution witnesses, including two eyewitnesses Wajih and Sajid Hussain, soon after the incident.

However, defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed while cross-examining the investigator argued that the names of eyewitnesses were included in the list of prosecution witnesses only after the arrest of the accused.

Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman and his brother were killed in an attack on June 23, 2005. A case (FIR No 315/2005) was later registered at the Preedy police station under Sections 302, 324 and 427/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Hammad Raza Naqvi and Syed Mohammad Askari were nominated in the FIR.

On September 12, 2007, Hammad Raza Naqvi was formally indicted in the case when he pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case. Judicial Magistrate Sara Junejo, who had conducted the identification parade of the accused, has also recorded his statement before the trail court. The court adjourned the hearing of the double murder case till March 3.