KARACHI, June 29: The prosecution prayed, on Tuesday, an anti-terrorism court to award capital punishment to the workers of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in two different sectarian murder cases.

One of the cases pertained to the killing of Kazim Hussain Jafferi on March 21, 2002 in an attack on his video shop in Mehmoodabad. Ataullah and Riaz are facing the charges in the case.

The second case pertained to the murder of a prayer leader and his son on Sept 12, 2001. Two Lashkar-i-Jhangvi activists - Ataullah and Mohammed Azam - have been charged with the sectarian killings.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who conducted the trials inside the Central Prison, fixed July 6 for the pronouncement of judgment after hearing final arguments from the special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum and defence counsel M.R. Syed.

Syed Razi Haider Najafi, the prayer leader, and his 15-year- old son, Syed Abbas Ali, were killed around 7:45am when the accused opened fire on their car near Sub-marine Chowrangi in Gizri. Razi Haider's youngest son, Syed Muhammad Ali, was wounded in the incident.

The prosecutor contended that the accused must be given maximum punishment under the Anti-terrorism Act as "the prosecution has successfully established its case beyond any reasonable doubt".

He said that the accused had been identified by the eye- witnesses during the identification parades before the judicial magistrates. Besides, he stated, the eye-witnesses had also identified the accused with their specific roles in the murders before the trial court. The defence counsel prayed the court to acquit the accused as the cases of the prosecution were full of contradictions.

DOCTOR'S KILLING: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 put off the hearing of Dr Peerani murder case after recording the statement of the accused Ataullah and Mohammed Azam.

The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi activists are being prosecuted for killing Dr Raza Peerani. The accused on a motorcycle opened fire on the doctor as he got into his car after leaving his clinic on June 26, 2003 in Soldier Bazaar. The two accused denied the charges and stated that they were implicated in the case by police. The judge fixed July 1 for hearing the final arguments from both sides.

ABIDI'S MURDER: The anti-terrorism court put off the hearing of Hasan Abidi murder case till Wednesday against the two workers of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi after recording the statement of a prosecution witness.

Mohammed Azam and Ataullah, being tried inside the Central Prison, have been charged with the killing of a factory owner Syed Hasan Abidi on Nov 15, 2001 within Korangi Industrial police limits.

Hasan Abidi was going to his factory along with his accountant, Amir Abbas, in his car. As he slowed down the car on a speed-breaker, two attackers on a motorbike opened fire on them. Mr Abidi died on the spot while Amir Abbas suffered bullet wounds.

The KIA police had registered the case initially against unknown assailants on the complaint of the wounded accountant. PW Mohammed Muneer identified accused Ataullah as the one who opened fire on Mr Abidi. He was also cross-examined by the defence counsel.

SENTENCED: Additional District and Sessions Judge, East, Abdul Malik, sentenced a driver to suffer a five- year term for killing a motorcyclist and his 17-year-old daughter.

Accused Manzoor was found guilty of having killed Syed Hashim Raza and Umm-i-Kulsoom near National Stadium on Aug 28, 1999. The judge also ordered the convicted driver to pay Rs275,000 as Diyat to the legal heirs of the victims.