KARACHI, April 29: Judge Feroze Mahmood Bhatti of the Anti-terrorism Court No. 2 put off the hearing of the Frenchmen killing case till May 2 after recording the statements of two prosecution witnesses.

Special public prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti, assisted by court prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum, examined Sub-inspector Zahid Shah and Aurangzeb as prosecution witnesses, who were also cross-examined by the defence counsel, M. R. Syed and Gohar Iqbal.

Mohammed Asif Zaheer and Rizwanullah, who were allegedly trained in a camp belonging to Harkat Jihad-i-Islami in Afghanistan, are facing the charges of killing 11 French naval engineers and two Pakistanis in a bomb attack.

The French engineers, who were helping Pakistan build its Agosta 90-B submarine, were killed when an explosive-laden vehicle hit their bus outside the Sheraton hotel.

The bus of the Pak Navy, carrying the French engineers, was about to move in front of Sheraton Hotel on Club Road in the morning, when a car of red colour stopped beside the bus and blew up with a bang, also destroying it and causing damage to the shops in the Pearl Continental and Sheraton.

The victims included Leclerc Jean Yves, Bled Cedric, Groux Pascal, Le Carpentier Daniel, Chevassut Jean Michel, Leconte Pascal, Drouet Claude, Dupont Bernard. A Pakistani woman was also among the dead.