KARACHI: Two prosecution witnesses (PWs) have recorded their statements before an antiterrorism court (ATC) and identified three accused, said to be associated wit the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, as those who had opened fire and then set Tahir Plaza on fire 15 years ago.

The accused — Ahmed Saeed alias Saeed Bharam, Mohammad Imran alias Imran Saeed and Faisal Javed — have been charged with setting the plaza on fire following a spat between two groups of lawyers on April 9, 2008.

Advocate Altaf Abbasi and his five clients were burnt to death at his Tahir Plaza office near the city courts when the building, which mostly housed lawyers’ offices, was set ablaze.

The eyewitnesses — a rickshaw driver and a guard of a lawyer — pointed towards the accused persons present in the courtroom as those who had opened fire and then set the building ablaze.

After recording their statements, the ATC-judge, who was conducting the trial at the Judicial Complex inside the central prison, adjourned the hearing till Nov 7 for evidence of more witnesses.

A case was registered under sections 324 (attempted murder), 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023