KARACHI, July 27 An anti-terrorism court indicted on Tuesday four suspected militants in an explosive substance case.Ghani Subhan alias Murad, Fiaz-ur-Rahman alias Abdul Rahman, Ishtiaq Ahmed and Mohammad Atif, stated to be associated with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, have been charged with keeping explosive material used in bomb making.

Judge Syed Hasan Shah Bukhari of the ATC-I, who is conducting the trial, read out the charges against the suspects. However, they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

The court adjourned the hearing till Aug 12 and summoned the prosecution witnesses to record their testimonies on the next hearing.

According to the charge-sheet, acting on a tip-off a police party raided a house in Qaimkhani Colony, Baldia Town, on March 20 and arrested Ghani Subhan, Fiaz-ur-Rahman and Ishtiaq, who had allegedly set up a bomb-making laboratory in the house.

On a lead given by the suspects, the police also seized 25 kilograms of urea, 25kg HCL, 15kg potassium nitrate, 5kg explosive loaded in an RCC pipe, over 1kg bomb-like elbow, a blue can of 10-litre nitric acid, seven litres of hydrogen peroxide, five detonators, an iron mine with a mine circuit, 5kg explosive material prepared from urea, 7kg material prepared from silver power, Agramin, silver power, cone-like material, electric balance, batteries, timer, nuts and bolts, small metal balls, oil, electric wire and a litre of diesel.

The fourth suspect was arrested on June 10.

A case (FIR 256/2010) was lodged under Sections 4/5 (punishment for attempt to cause explosion or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property/punishment for making or possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances) of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908 read with Section 7 (ff) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Mochko police station.

Robber jailed for three years

Meanwhile, a district and sessions court on Tuesday sentenced a man to three years in prison and acquitted a co-accused in a robbery case.

The court found Allah Dino guilty of looting a taxi driver and a passenger within the remit of the Sohrab Goth police station and convicted him under Section 392 (punishment for robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code.He was also charged under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 324 (attempted murder) of the PPC, but the court exonerated him from these charges for want of evidence.

The co-accused, Haji Jatoi, was exonerated from all charges for want of evidence.

The Malir district and sessions judge, Hasan Feroz, who conducted the trial, pronounced the judgment after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs5,000 and ordered that in case of non-payment of fine the convict would have to undergo an additional three-month imprisonment.

The court in its verdict observed that prosecution witnesses fully implicated the accused and identified him before the court while stolen articles were also found in his custody and the prosecution successfully proved it case against Allah Dino.

However, co-accused Haji Jatoi was found not guilty since neither an eyewitness identified him nor any recovery was made from his possession, it added.

According to the prosecution, on Dec23, 2008 the accused along with their absconding accomplice, Majeed, intercepted a taxi in the Sohrab Goth area and looted the taxi driver, Sikandar Ali, and passenger Fahad Jafferi at gunpoint.

When the accused were fleeing after committing the crime, a police party arrested two of them after a shootout while their accomplice managed to escape, it added.

A case (FIR 806/08) was registered against the accused on the complaint of the taxi driver at the Sohrab Goth police station.

Both the accused were produced before the court in custody and after the pronouncement of the order, the judge remanded Allah Dino back to prison along with a conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence and directed the jail authorities to release the co-accused if not wanted in any other criminal case.