KARACHI, Jan 18: Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi of the Anti- Terrorism Court No. 1 recorded on Saturday the statements of five medico-legal officers, who had conducted the autopsies on the bodies of victims of US Consulate car bombing blast.

The self-styled chief of Harkatul Mujahideen Aalmi, a banned religious outfit, Mohammed Imran, his deputy, Mohammed Ashraf, and finance secretary, Mohammed Hanif, are being tried inside the Central Prison, Karachi.

The three Aalmi leaders have been charged with the killing of 12 people and injuring 43 others in car bombing in front of the US Consulate.

A team of prosecutors, comprising advocate-general, Anwer Mansoor Khan, assistant AG Habib Ahmed, Maula Bux Bhatti, and Abdul Waheed Khan, has been notified to represent the state.

However, on Saturday the AG and his assistant did not turn up as they were engaged in the higher courts. Special public prosecutors Abdul Waheed Khan and Maula Bux Bhatti examined Dr Abdul Haq, Dr Farida Ayaz, Dr Yasmeen Memon, Dr Rohina Hasan and Dr Khalid Chauhan.

Dr Yasmeen and Dr Rohina were also cross-examined by Abdul Waheed Katpur, one of the defence counsel. Counsel Khawaja Naveed and Ali Raza Abidi adopted the cross-examination conducted by their senior colleague.

The judge put off the hearing till 23rd for recording the statements of further prosecution witnesses.

The Civil Lines police have cited as many as 50 prosecution witnesses in the case.