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KARACHI, Oct 20: An anti-terrorism court recorded on Wednesday the deposition of first three prosecution witnesses in the Haideri Mosque blast case against a worker of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off the hearing till Thursday after special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined the SHO of Mithadar, Inspector Shaukat Awan, Sub- inspector Munir Ahmed and Adil Khan.
As many as 23 people were killed and 98 others injured on May 7 when a suicide bomber blew himself inside the Haideri Mosque at Sindh Madressatul Islam.
Accused Gul Hasan, the alleged mastermind of the blasts, was arrested on June 13 within the limits of the Mithadar police. He is stated to have planned the attack with absconding accused who included Asif Chuto and Mufti Obaid.
Inspector Awan stated that he was with a police patrol in the vicinity when he learnt about the incident. He said he went to the spot and learnt that the pesh-imam was also injured and he was admitted to the Liaquat National Hospital.
The SHO submitted that he went to the hospital and recorded the statement of the pesh-imam.
He said the mosque was sealed after the blast. He said on May 13 he was getting the debris removed from the mosque when he found pieces of an official police belt.
He said the number engraved on the buckle led to the identity of the suicide bomber, constable Mohammad Akbar Khan Niazi. He said then he went to constable Niazi's house at Dariyabad, Lyari.
The SHO stated that the father of the constable took him to the room of Niazi. He said he seized 37 religious books and 13 audio cassettes, containing religious and sectarian speeches, from his room.
During the cross-examination by defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed Tanoli, the SHO said it was incorrect to suggest that the police had itself bought the books and the audio cassettes.
RANSOM CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off the hearing of a Rs6 million ransom case, involving sons of three senior government officials.
Fida Hussain Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, Junaid Ansari, son of KBCA official Abdul Rehman Ansari, Qurban Ali Khoso and Abdur Rasheed have been charged with kidnapping of Ahmed Naeem, who was released after payment of ransom in Manchester.
The gang of kidnappers, comprising sons of an SSP, a senior preventive officer of Customs and a deputy controller of the KBCA, was busted last month.
The victim, a son of a vehicle dealer, was kidnapped on June 11 and the kidnappers released him after receiving Rs6.1 million as ransom in Manchester.
The investigators intercepted ransom calls originating from Manchester. The kidnappers called the victim's family and initially demanded Rs50 million for his release. However, after a series of negotiations on phone from Manchester, the kidnapper agreed to the payment of 56,000 pounds sterling (Rs6.1 million).
Mujeebur Rehman Bhutto, son of customs SPO Rano Khan Bhutto, Shahzad Ali, Atique Bajwah, Khalid Aziz, Himmat Ali Khoso, Niaz Khoso and Yasir Khoso were declared absconders.
Meanwhile, the police arrested two of the absconders, Shahzad Ahmed and Atique Bajwah, on Oct 7.
ATTACK CASE: The corps commander's convoy attack case and the doctor brothers case could not proceed as Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 was on leave. The court reader fixed the hearing of the two case on Oct 23.
Ataur Rehman alias Ibrahim, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwah, Yaqoob Saeed, Uzair Ahmed, Shoaib Siddiqui, Danish Inam, Najeebullah, Khurrum Saifullah, Shahzad Mukhtar and Khalid Rao were charged with a series of offences, including attack on the motorcade of Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat, on June 10 on the old Clifton bridge, which resulted in the death of six army personnel, three policemen and a passerby.
Adnan Shah alias Tipu, Mohammed Qasim, Maaz, Shahab, Bilal, Tayyeb, Hammad and Fasih have been declared absconders.
Dr. Akmal Waheed, a cardiologist, and his younger brother Dr. Arshad Waheed, an expert in kidney diseases, have been charged with financing, harbouring and treating the activists of the Jundullah.
It was alleged that the two brothers sent Jundullah activists, Shahzad Ahmed Bajwa and Mohammad Qasim to Wana for getting training from Obaidullah, the brother of Nek Mohammed.
