KARACHI, Jan 21: An anti-terrorism court issued on Monday a show-cause notice to the Sindh prisons chief over non-production of an accused in the Nishtar Park carnage case.

Sultan Mahmood alias Saifullah, Mufti Zakir Hussain Siddiqui and Rehmatullah, said to be associated with the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, have been charged with planning and executing a bombing during an Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) congregation in Nishtar Park in April 2006 that had left over 50 people, including top leadership of the Sunni Tehrik, dead.

On Dec 8, the court had directed jail authorities in Sukkar for a medical exanimation of undertrial prisoner Sultan and to produce him in court along with the medical report on an application moved by the defence against his shifting from Karachi and alleged torture.

However, on a previous hearing the UTP was not produced. The court directed the inspector-general of prisons, Sindh for a medical examination and to produce him in court.

When the case came up for hearing before Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso of the ATC-I, who is conducting the trial inside the Karachi central prison, on Monday accused Sultan was not produced in court.

The court issued a show-cause notice to the Prisons IG with a direction to produce the UTP in court and to explain his position for not complying with the court order on Feb 2.

On a pervious hearing, the defence counsel submitted that his two clients had been shifted back to Karachi from Sukkar after maltreatment, but Sultan was still confined in the Sukkar prison, where he was being subjected to severe torture. He sought legal action against the jail officials concerned and production of his client.

The provincial government had shifted many UTPs from the Karachi central prison to Hyderabad and Sukkar prisons in mid-August due to security concerns. Recently, most of them have been sent back to Karachi.

According to the prosecution, on April 11, 2006 a massive bomb blast took place near the stage of a 12th Rabiul Awal congregation in Nishtar Park when participants were offering Magrhib prayers. Over 50 people, including ST leaders Abbas Qadri and Iftikhar Bhatti, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader Hafiz Taqi and others, were killed while over 100 were wounded in the bombing.

Over 110 people were cited as prosecution witnesses in the case. The trial was pending for around four months. The prosecution has so far examined around five witnesses.

A case (FIR 71/06) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 109 (abetment), 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 3/4 of the Explosive Substance Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Soldier Bazaar police station on a complaint of Mohammad Altaf Qadri.

Amanullah alias Mufti Ilyas, Qari Abid Iqbal and Khalid are absconders in this case.

Fake driving licence holder convicted

A judicial magistrate sentenced on Monday a man to one-year imprisonment in a fake driving licence case.

Mohammad Asif was found guilty of carrying a forged driving licence in Jan 2009 within the remit of the Pakistan Bazaar police station.

Judicial Magistrate Sarddaruddin Bohyo pronounced his verdict after hearing both sides.

According to the prosecution, an officer of the traffic police intercepted a vehicle as the driver had violated traffic rules and seized his licence and during verification it was found fake.

A case (FIR 21/09) was registered under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471(using as genuine a forged document) of the PPC.