KARACHI, March 8: The additional district and sessions judge-II, East, Naseem Mansoor, on Saturday condoned the absence of the co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, Asif Ali Zardari, in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case till April 12 on the request of his counsel.
Defence counsel Shahadat Awan appeared on behalf of his client in the case and submitted an application for condoning the absence of the accused stating that Asif Zardari was currently busy in Islamabad having meetings with leaders of various political parties to find ways and means to restore the deposed judges and give a package to parliament to improve the condition of the judiciary by making it independent of the executive and to bring about an era of true democracy.
The court accepted the application and directed the accused to appear on the next date of hearing.
The case pertains to the murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, his close aide Ashique Hussain Jatoi and six other workers and supporters of the PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) on Sept 20, 1996, near his residence in Clifton in an alleged shootout with police.
Asif Zardari, Shoaib Suddle, Wajid Durrani, Masood Sharif, Shahid Hayat, Rai Mohammed Tahir, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, Agha Mohammed Jameel and others are accused in the case.
Boiler blast case
The additional district and sessions judge-II, Central, Nelofer Shahnawaz, adjourned on Saturday the hearing in the boiler blast case till March 22.
Two prosecution witnesses ASIs Mohammad Ismail and Yaqoob Kario appeared before the court. However, their statements could not be recorded due to the absence of the defence counsel. The blast occurred in a towel dyeing and bleaching factory in New Karachi on July 24, 2007 that killed nine people and wounded 25 others. The court directed the witnesses to record their statements on the next hearing.
Earlier, factory owner Akhtar Hussain Baloch and boiler operator Mohammad Ahsanullah were indicted on a manslaughter charge. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.
A case (FIR 359/07) was registered against them under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Taimuria police station after the boiler had exploded. Over 10 prosecution witnesses have so far been examined in the case.
Toxic waste
Meanwhile the district and sessions judge, West, Syed Zakir Hussain, adjourned on Saturday till March 22 the hearing in a case against a factory owner and others for dumping highly toxic industrial waste in an open area in Site Town, which killed two children and injured 15 others.
The court directed the accused to appear before it on the next hearing. Two prosecution witnesses appeared in the court. However their statements could not be recorded due to the shortage of time. The judge also asked the witnesses to record their statements on the next hearing.
The complainant, Dr Iqbal Saeed Khan, former director of the Sindh Environment Protection Agency, former deputy director of Sepa Ashfaq Hussain Pirzada and police sub-inspector Syed Waqar Hussain have recorded their statements in the case.
The prosecution said, in March 2006 around 17 children aged seven to 10 playing in the area got serious injuries due to toxic chemical which had been dumped on a plot of Site. They were brought to the National Institute of Child Health on March 15 and March 17. Two of the affected children died from their injuries.
The Sindh Environment Protection Agency had lodged a case (FIR No 181/07) at the Site police station under Sections 322 and 286 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the accused. The police arrested the accused soon after the incident. They later released them on bail.