KARACHI, Aug 22: A judicial magistrate on Monday issued a warrant for the arrest of the city dairy farmers' body chief for his continuous absence despite repeated court notices on a complaint about fresh milk prices.

The city district government had filed a complaint against the Karachi Dairy Farmers' Association (KDFA) and a fresh milk retailers body for denying to follow the official rates of fresh milk.

The court had a number of times issued notices and bailable warrants to KDFA President Haji Akhtar Gujjar and a leader of fresh milk retailers, Hafiz Mohammad Nisar, on pervious hearings with direction to appear in the court. However, they did not turn up.

When the matter came up for hearing before Judicial Magistrate (west) Mohammad Afzal Roshan on Monday, Hafiz Nisar appeared in the court and explained his absence on pervious hearings.

But KDFA chief Akhtar Gujjar still remained absent. Subsequently, the court issued non-bailable warrant for his arrest and directed the Sukhan station house officer to produce him till Aug 24.

The complaint filed in a sessions court by the district coordination officer was sent to the magistrate for trial.

The complainant said that the city government had fixed the retail price of fresh milk at Rs60 a litre on April 4, but dairy farmers were fleecing consumers by charging them excessively.

It is worth noting here that dairy farmers had increased the price of fresh milk by Rs6 and Rs2 a litre on April 9 and in May, respectively, after the city government fixed the rate at Rs60 a litre.

Two remanded in police bus attack case

The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts of Karachi on Monday remanded two suspects in police custody in a case pertaining to an attack on a bus of the reserve police.

The police produced Abdul Hakim and Atif alias Asif before administrative judge Justice Maqbool Baqar of the Sindh High Court and sought their physical remand.

The court handed the suspects over to the police on physical remand till Sept 3 and directed the investigation officer to produce them on the next day hearing.

According to the prosecution, at least four people including three policemen were killed and 30 others wounded when a group of 15 to 20 gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on the bus carrying dozes of policemen on the night of Aug 19 at Charka Goth in Korangi. Furqan, Sagheer Ahmed, Aqeel, Zahid alias Tailor, Tanveer, Saleem and Nadeem were the absconding accused in the case while Shahid and Asif Chaman were killed in a retaliatory fire, it added.

A case (FIR 434/2011) was registered under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder), 302 (premeditated murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Zaman Town police station.

Murder case suspects

The same court on Monday remanded three suspects in police custody in a kidnapping and murder case till Sept 3.

Moshin, Abu-Al Bashar and Subhan with their absconding accomplices have been charged with attacking the home of complainant Ashiq Chandio of the Sindh Dost Party on Aug 19 within the remit of the Zaman Town police station and kidnapping his nephew Shahzad and killing two others.

A case (FIR433/11) was registered under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage etc.) 324 (attempt to commit premeditated murder), 302 (premeditated murder), 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person ) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.