KARACHI, March 31: An Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced on Thursday six activists of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami to aggregate 19 years in prison each in explosive substance, illegal weapons and police encounter cases.

Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti of the ATC-2 convicted Naveed Hamid, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abid, Syed Khurrum Shahab, Mohammad Nasir and Mohammad Amir., who were arrested by the police after a shootout on May 23, 2004, in Kalakot area. The judge, who announced judgment in the Central Prison, Karachi, also imposed a fine of Rs 2,00,000 each on the accused.

The judge awarded a three-year term to Harkat activists under Section 147, 148 of PPC, two-year term under Section 149, 353 and 427 of PPC, seven-year term under Section 324 of PPC and Section 4 of Explosive Substance Act read with section 7 of Anti-terrorism Act, 1997 and seven-year term under Section 13-D of Arms Ordinance with section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act.

The court, however, exonerated them from charges pertaining to recovery of illegal weapons as it could not be proved by the prosecution.

ACQUITTED: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 acquitted two accused in a kidnapping for ransom case.

Mohammad Rasheed and Imam Hasan were prosecuted for being prosecuted for kidnapping Mohammad Sabir and his son Qaiser for ransom in the limits of the Docks police stateion on Sept 9, 2003.