KARACHI, Feb 3: An anti-terrorism court put off on Thursday hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case after recording the statement of an accused.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 fixed Friday for hearing final arguments from the prosecution and defence attorneys.

Shahzad Makrani is being tried for kidnapping Hasan Javed, three-year-old son of Javed Iqbal in December last from Iqbal Centre on Jinnah Road. His three accomplices, Zahid Makrani, Jhangir Makrani and Baba, have been shown absconders.

According to prosecution, the accused demanded Rs50,000 from the victim's father on phone. They asked Javed Iqbal to deliver the money at a place in Chakiwara.

It was alleged that the four accused approached the car and received the ransom from his uncle. The kidnappers asked the victim's father to wiat for the child there and left him awaiting in the car. They again appeared with the abducted kid in the lap of accused Shahzad.

As Shahzad handed over the kid to them, the plain-clothed policemen nabbed him red-handed and seized a pistol and Rs5,000 from him. His three other accomplices, however, disappeared in the narrow lanes of the vicinity when they saw their accomplice being caught.

HAIDERI MOSQUE BLAST: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off till Feb 7 the hearing of the Haideri Mosque bomb blast case against a worker of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi on the application of the defence counsel.