KARACHI, April 30: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Friday judgment in a bomb blast case against two workers of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

Judge Feroz Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 fixed May 11 for the pronouncement of judgment after he visited and inspected the site of the blast.

Abdul Wahab Afghani and Shahnawaz alias Shani have been prosecuted for their alleged involvement in the blast near PSO House on Feb 3, which killed one man and injured three others. The bomb was planted in a motorcycle at the parking lot of a shopping centre.

The blast also damaged at least 12 other motorcycles, parked in the area besides shattering windowpanes of the Clifton Galleria Shopping Mall and PSO House. The man, killed in the blast, was identified as Karimdad, a parking fee collector.

Special public prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti examined, in all, 17 prosecution witnesses. The accused were represented by M. R. Syed. Those who accompanied the judge during site inspection included prosecution and defence attorneys, Inspector Qamaruz Zaman, complainant and SHO of the Frere, tapedar Hamid Ali Mangi, investigation officer Chaudhry Tariq Mehmood, head constables Ijaz and Iqbal and Waqar Ahmed, a parking attendant who appeared as prosecution witness.

The prosecution witnesses also included two eye-witnesses, Waqar Ahmed and Rahil Khan, who identified the two accused in the trial court. PW Waqar Ahmed deposed that accused Afghani and an unknown pillion rider came on a bike. "They parked the motorcycle in the parking lot and the blast occurred after their departure".

PW Rahil Khan, a motorcycle mechanic, stated that accused Shani came to his workshop in Korangi and purchased the bike through him. He said the accused introduced himself as Ismail.

Earlier, the special public prosecutor prayed the court to award maximum punishment to the accused as the prosecution had "successfully proved its case beyond any shadow of doubt". The defence counsel, however, contended that his clients were entitled to be acquitted as the case of prosecution was full of contradictions.

KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM CASE: An eye-witness identified four accused in a kidnapping for ransom case in an anti-terrorism court. Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 put off the hearing till May 5 after the deposition of Mohammed Rashid, who was one of the six victims.

Accused Zafar Iqbal, Shaukat Ali, Akbar Ali and Muneer Ahmed are being tried for kidnapping Aslam Lodhi and five others on Jan 1 for ransom. According to prosecution, victim Lodhi was running a workshop of meter covers of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation in North Karachi.

One of his employees, Zafar Iqbal, asked him and five other colleagues to have dinner at his house. It was alleged that the accused gave them intoxicated food and made them hostage.

Later, the kidnapper phoned the son of the workshop owner, Mohammed Saqib Lodhi, and demanded a heavy sum for the release of the hostages. The accused allegedly agreed to accept Rs115,000 as ransom and asked the victim's son to bring the money near Bilal Chowrangi, Korangi, where accused Shaukat Ali was arrested red- handed receiving the money.

Later the accused led the police party to the house where Aslam Lodhi and his five workers - Asif Ali, Abdul Waheed, Mohammed Aslam, Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Rashid - were kept.

The police also arrested Zafar Iqbal and Ali Akbar on a lead given by accused Shaukat. Accused Muneer Ahmed, however, fled the scene, but he was also later arrested. One of their alleged accomplices, Mir Hasan, is still untraceable and he has been declared absconder. Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa has, so far, examined eight prosecution witnesses.