KARACHI, Sept 8: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday recorded final arguments in a kidnapping for ransom case against four persons charged with kidnapping Ali Akbar in the limits of the Sachhal police station on Feb 17, 2007.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the case, reserved his order for Sept 13 after hearing the arguments from both the sides.
The court had recorded statements of the accused Sheraz Ahmed, Sherazul Haq, Qari Yaseen and Khwaja Mohammad on Sept 5, who had pleaded not guilty. The defence counsel Jameel Ahmed Wirk and Abdul Nasir argued that the case against their clients was baseless and they should be exonerated from the charges.
However, they failed to come up with any answer to the judge’s questions about the culprits being identified by the victim and did not produce any evidence in their defence.
The Special Public Prosecutor, Mohammad Mazhar Qayyum, told the court that the statements of 15 prosecution witnesses had been recorded against the accused and their involvement in the offence had already been proved. He requested the court to award capital punishment to the accused under the anti-terrorism law.
The court had recorded the depositions of Ali Akbar, his father Saifuddin and private witness Rehmatullah on Aug 27.
According to the prosecution, Ali Akbar and a guest were travelling from the airport when the accused, posing as policemen, stopped them at the Super Highway. While the guest waited in the car, Akbar was abducted and was then taken to Faqeera Goth in the limits of the Sachhal police station.
The following day, the kidnappers demanded Rs20 million as a ransom for Akbar’s release. After negotiations with Akbar’s father Saifuddin, they had agreed to accept Rs500,000 which had to be handed over at Islamabad airport. The prosecution told the court that the ransom had been paid by Saifuddin on Feb 21, 2007, and Akbar had been released in Karachi the same day.
A case (FIR No 91/07) was registered under Section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Sachhal police station.
Nishtar Park case
An anti-terrorism court on Saturday deferred the date in the Nishtar Park bomb blast case till Sept 27 due to the hearing of final arguments in a kidnapping for ransom case.
The explosion had killed 54 people and wounded more than 100 while an Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) congregation was being held there on April 11, 2006.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the trial, had earlier fixed Aug 7 for producing the accused for trial, but the jail authorities had pleaded for a trial inside the prison.
The prison officials had told the court that an application had been filed with the officials concerned for approval to conduct the trial within the jail premises.
A court source told Dawn that the officials concerned had notified the trial inside the jail of the accused.
Sultan Mehmood alias Saifullah alias Muslim, son of Syed Salim alias Said Talib, Rehmatullah alias Rehmat, son of Siyam, and Mufti Mohammad Zakir Hussain Siddiqui, son of Siddiq-ur-Rehman, are in jail.
Accused Amanullah alias Mufti Ilyas alias Jamal, son of Gul Zareen, Mohammad Khalid Khan alias Abrar, son of Mohammad Yousuf, and Qari Abid Iqbal, son of Wali Jan, are absconding in the case.
The case was transferred to the court by Administrative Judge of the ATCs Abdul Ghafoor Memon on July 13 soon after the investigation officer (IO) of the case produced a charge-sheet against the accused.
According to the police, apart from official witnesses including police personnel, hospital staff, etc, police had recorded the statements of about 116 other witnesses as well.