KARACHI, Feb 6: The district and sessions judge (Karachi Central), Pir Ali Shah, on Friday adjourned hearing of the Justice Nizam Ahmed murder case against Asif Ali Zardari.

The charge was to be framed against Mr Zardari and others on Friday, but Special Public Prosecutor Maula Bukhsh Bhatti sought adjournment because of his illness.

The court, granting the SPP's request, fixed Feb 20 for indictment of the accused. Asif Zardari, with three co-accused Akhtar Javed Pirzada, Bilal Shaikh and Babar Sindhu, is being tried for double murder.

According to the prosecution, Justice Nizam Ahmed and his son Nadim Ahmed were shot dead on June 10, 1996 outside their PECHS house. The complainant, Group Captain (retd) Sikandar, brother-in-law of Justice Nizam, had lodged FIR of the incident in Ferozabad PS.

The killings were attributed to a dispute over a plot adjacent to Awami Markaz as Justice Nizam had opposed illegal allotment of the plot stated to be bought by Javed Akhtar Pirzada, allegedly a front man of Asif Zardari. - PPI