KARACHI, Oct 22: A division bench of Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro and Justice Mohammad Sadiq Leghari, on Wednesday admitted for hearing state’s appeal seeking enhancement of sentence to Mohammad Ajmal alias Akram Lahori and Malik Tassaduq, activists of banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, in Mehmoodabad killing case and issued notice to respondents.

An anti-terrorism court in Karachi had on Aug 19 convicted four activists Mohammad Azam, Attaullah, Akram Lahori and Malik Tassaduq for killing five persons and injuring six others at the Imam Bargah Ali Murtuza in Mehmoodabad in 2001.

The court sentenced Attaullah and Azam to death while awarding life imprisonment to Tassaduq and Akram Lahori.

AAG Habib Ahmed argued that the trial court fell in error in appreciating the evidence on record and prayed to court to enhance the sentence to respondents into death sentence.

Meanwhile, the same court adjourned the hearing of an appeal by an activist of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba, Sabir Ali Waseem, on the request of defence counsel.

Appellant was sentenced to 30 years RI by the ATC Karachi. He was charged with launching an anti-tank rocket (BM-107) that pierced through the wall of Government Commerce College on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road Karachi on Nov 23, 2001.

APPEAL ALLOWED: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Wahid Bux Brohi and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery, on Wednesday allowed an appeal by two men against their conviction in a murder case and set aside the trial court order.

Appellants John and Habib were sentenced to death by Additional District and Session Judge Sanghar on Jan 25, 2000. They were charged with killing Nadeem Pervez on Oct 1, 1996.

As per an FIR lodged with the Sanghar police, complainant Muneer stated that appellants killed Nadeem on suspicion of deceased’s illicit relations with their sister. Both were arrested and tried. Their appeals were filed in the SHC and the court after hearing arguments from both sides allowed their appeals and ordered their release if not involved in other cases.—PPI