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KARACHI, Aug 20: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Friday the judgment in the Macedonian Consulate bomb blast case against nine workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who conducted the trial inside the Central Prison, fixed Aug 25 for the pronouncement of judgment after hearing final arguments from the prosecution and defence attorneys.
The accused were prosecuted for committing a bomb blast after stabbing two men and a woman to death on Dec 5, 2002, inside the honorary consulate of Macedonia, situated at the Phase-IV of the DHA.
The accused are Syed Sohail Akhtar alias Mustafa, Zafar Iqbal alias Sohail, Naeem Rafi alias Nimmi, Mohammed Atif, Sameerullah alias Somi, Mohammed Khalid alias Shahzad, Abdur Razzaq alias Bhiya, Syed Ahmed Kazmi alias Shahbaz and Mehmoodullah.
According to prosecution, the accused entered the consulate building late night and stabbed Hameed Hactor Masih, Mohammed Asif and Ghazala Perveen to death. They planted an explosive device which they detonated with a remote-control device after leaving the consulate. The intruders also took away a computer and printer from the spot.
They were charged with the offences under Section 302, 395 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Act and Section 7 (b) of the Anti-terrorism Act.
Special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined in all 19 prosecution witnesses. He prayed the court to award maximum punishment to the accused as the prosecution had brought on record sufficient evidence against them.
PAMPHLETS CASE: An anti-terrorism court put off on Thursday hearing of the pamphlets case against a London-born doctor after recording the statement of the accused.
Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Aug 23 for hearing final arguments from the prosecution and defence attorneys after the statement of Dr. Ismail Shaikh. The case against the 30-year-old dentist was registered by the Clifton police for distributing pamphlets, containing material against the US, Jews and Pakistan, in front of a Clifton mosque.
According to prosecution, the 30-year-old dentist was a member of the Palestine-based proscribed organisation, Hizbul Tehreer. He was arrested while distributing pamphlets in front of Moti Masjid after Isha on July 7.
While recording his statement in the court, he stated that he was a member of the Hizbul Tehreer. He said the objective of the proscribed organization was to invite the people to the fold of Islam.
Clad in stripped shirt and black trousers, the bearded doctor submitted to the court that he would not tell a lie as he was a true Muslim. He disputed the claims of the police regarding the time and date of his arrest. He said the police had arrested him on July 2 after Juma prayers.
The offence involves maximum punishment of six-month rigorous imprisonment. The doctor had recently come from London and was residing in Nazimabad. He first came here in 1999 and married his cousin. Later he divorced his wife in 2002 and left for London. He solemnised his second marriage in London and returned here a few month back.
REFERENCE: An accountability court put off the hearing of a corruption reference against Javed Burki, a former federal secretary and former chief of the Pakistan Automobile Corporation (PACO), and another accused in a Rs1.7 billion corruption case.
Judge Parkash Lal Ambwani of AC-4 fixed Aug 27 for the next hearing for hearing two applications, one filed by the prosecution and the other by the defence. The two accused, both on bail granted by the Sindh High Court, appeared in the court.
Counsel for Mr Burki, Abdul Hafeez Lakho, and special public prosecutors Shaukat Hiyat and Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui were present. The judge adjourned the hearing as Ismat Mehdi, counsel for co-accused Muzammil Niazi, did not turn up due to her engagement in the Sindh High Court.
The reference against Mr Burki and Mr Niazi was filed by the National Accountability Bureau on December 20, 2003. It was alleged that the PACO suffered huge financial losses, which ultimately led to its closure in 1997.
HEARING ADJOURNED: An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Karachi, headed by Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti, on Friday adjourned the hearing of a sectarian killing case against two activists of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi on the request of defence counsel, adds PPI.
