KARACHI, Nov 1: The Sindh High Court on Friday put the state on notice for Nov 5 on a constitutional petition filed by a former MNA and a former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hakim Ali Zardari.

The bench comprised Justice Shabbir Ahmed and Justice Mohammed Sadiq Leghari.

The petitioner moved the court seeking permission to go abroad for treatment of a number of diseases. The petitioner has been convicted by special banking court at Karachi.

The trial court has dismissed a similar plea by the petitioner.

Another bench of the SHC, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany, put off the hearing of a quashment application filed by Asif Ali Zardari, husband of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

The applicant sought quashment of proceedings before a judicial magistrate of Karachi South in an alleged attempt to suicide case.

Former senator Asif Zardari sustained injuries while in the custody of CIA police during interrogation in Justice Nizam murder case.

Police alleged that Mr Asif attempted to commit suicide, but he maintained that police officials bruised his tongue and threatened him to either confess to the double murder of Justice Nizam and his only son, Nadeem, or he would be killed.

The court adjourned the proceedings to Nov 19.

REJECTED: An anti-terrorism appellate bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Friday two appeals filed by convicts in a murder, police encounter and trespass case, but modified the sentence awarded to them.

The bench consisted of Justice Wahid Bux Brohi and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery.

The bench was hearing appeals filed by workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Iqbal alias Saleem, Farrukh alias Farooq, Shahid Hussain, Imran Shaikh, Abid alias Kaleem, Munawwar Alam, Jameelur Rahman Siddiqui and Nadeem Marble alias Boby. Shabbir, Asif Baig and Ajmal Pahari have been declared absconders in the case pertaining to the murder of a Razakar (police volunteer), Kashif.

According to the prosecution, the Liaquatabad police raided a place in Bandhani Colony, Liaquatabad, on information that terrorists alleged to be workers of the MQM were hiding there.

The accused were besieged whereupon they entered a house forcibly and held the occupants of the house hostage. Later in an ensuing encounter, Kashif was killed, and police succeeded in arresting Iqbal, Farrukh, Shahid, Abid, Imran and Mansoor.

The accused were sent up for trial, and ATC VII judge Hakim Ali Abbasi sentenced them to death. The accused were also awarded 10 years’ RI under section 324 of the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance, two years’ RI on the charge of encounter with police and one year’s RI each for criminal trespass.

When the appeal came up for hearing, AAG Habib Ahmed requested the court to enhance the sentence of 10 years to life Imprisonment.

After hearing Abdul Waheed Katpar and Mehmood Alam Rizvi, advocates, counsel for the appellants, the bench dismissed the appeals with modification in the sentences.

The bench maintained the death sentence awarded to Imran Shaikh who fired and killed Kashif. The death sentence awarded to the remaining accused was set aside. The bench however enhanced the 10 years’ RI awarded to Mansoor Alam and Farrukh to 14 years’ RI. The rest of the accused were acquitted of the charge of attempt to murder. The bench maintained the sentence awarded to them on the charge of criminal trespass. — APP