KARACHI, Feb 25: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi on Friday acquitted Mohammad Atif alias Kamran, an activist of the Harkatul Mujahideen Al Alami in a petrol pump blast case.

"There is absolutely no evidence connecting the accused with the commission of the offence. He is acquitted from charge," ATC Judge Syed Aley Maqbool Rizvi ordered while announcing the verdict.

Mohammad Atif was prosecuted for causing an explosion at Shell petrol pump in Azizabad on May 15, 2003. He was booked under Section 324,427/34 PPC and Section 3,4 of Explosive Substance Act with section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act.

The court observed there were material defects in identification test conducted by Judicial Magistrate Ms Farzana Mushtaq and the complainant of the case Zaheer Ahmed had not given the name of eyewitness Dawood Khan, who was later dropped by the prosecution as not traceable.

"As regards the remaining witnesses, they are not material witnesses with regard to commission of offence," the court observed and ordered to release the accused if not involved in other cases. The court had reserved judgment on Feb 17 after hearing closing arguments of defence counsel Nadeem Shahzad Hahsmi and Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Waheed Khan.

Meanwhile, ATC headed by Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti adjourned the hearing of a trial till March 1 against activist of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in a sectarian killing case due to non-appearance of investigation officer. Abdul Wahab alias Afghani is charged with killing Mohammed Baqar and Ghulam Husain in a bakery at Lighthouse area on Feb 27, 2003. -PPI