KARACHI, April 30: An anti-terrorism court acquitted on Saturday three activists of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in a church bomb blast case.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 acquitted Mehmoodullah, Mohammad Naeem and Mohammad Atif alias Kamran from charges while giving them benefit of doubt.

The three activists were prosecuted for planting an explosive devise under the bench of St. Patrick Cathedral Church in Saddar on December 22, 1998. One Ms. Bella Melo was injured in blast.

The judge observed that none of the witnesses had stated in the court in clear words that accused were seen planting bomb under benches of the church. He remarked that the prosecution had miserably failed to prove the allegations against the accused.

The same court (ATC-5) also acquitted two workers of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in two cases of petrol pumps blasts.

Atif alias Kamran and Mehmood Ullah were prosecuted for causing bomb blasts at two petrol pumps within the limits of the Jamshed Quarters police station on May 15, 2003.

As many as 27 petrol pump blast cases were registered by the police on May 15, 2003. The Harkat men, represented by M. R. Syed, have been acquitted in 26 cases.

The court has reserved order on the last case after hearing arguments on the acquittal application.

Syed Sohtail Akhtar, Zafar Iqbal, Naeem Rafi, Mohammad Atif, Mohammad Khalid, Mahmoodullah, Abdul Razzaq, Samirullah and Syed Ahmar Kazmi were arrested by police in April 2004 for their alleged involvement in the blast cases.

The Harkat activists were earlier convicted and sentenced to life term on two counts for their involvement in the honorary Macedonian consulate explosion that killed three persons in December 2002.

SENTENCED: The additional district and sessions judge, South, Abrar Hussain F. Memon, sentenced a man to a six-year term for submitting forged documents as surety for bail.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 on accused Babu, who would have to undergo an additional six month term in case of default on payment.

The accused had submitted forged registration documents of a rickshaw and and his forged national identity card as surety for the bail of accused Fida Hussain, who was booked and arrested for possession of illegal weapon.

Babu, who was booked by the city court for forgery, was on bail and he was taken in to custody immediately after the pronouncement of judgment. He was sent to jail.