KARACHI, Sept 9: A judicial magistrate on Friday remanded two suspected assassins in police custody till Sept 11.

The special investigation unit of police arrested Sanaullah and Imran Rafiq on Sept 8 and claimed to have recovered illicit weapons from their possession.

The suspects were produced before the judicial magistrate (central) and police sought their remand. The court handed them over to police on physical remand for one day.

According to the prosecution, acting on a tip-off the SIU raided a hideout in Liaquatabad on Sept 5 and arrested Qasim alias Bhaloo and Syed Sohail Ali after a shootout and found illicit weapons in their possession while Sanullah and Imran managed to flee under the cover of fire. They were apprehended on Sept 8.

The suspects were associated with a political party and involved in several incidents of targeted killings, it alleged.

Qasim and Sohail are already in police custody till Sept 10.

A case (FIR No.269/11) was registered under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder), 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The suspects were booked under Section 13-D of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance.

Warrants out for policemen

A judicial magistrate on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of four policemen for not appearing in court to testify in an illicit weapon case.

The crime investigation department

(CID) arrested Molvi Mohammad Azeem in December 2010 for allegedly possessing an unlicensed pistol and booked him in a case (FIR No.313/10) under Section 13-D of the arms ordinance.

Inspector Shariq Siddiqui, ASI Asghar Hussain Abidi, Head Constable Taqueer Ahmed and Constable Mohammad Khan were cited as prosecution witnesses in the case.

However, they failed to appear in court to record their testimonies despite repeated notices and reminders from the court for the last many months.

The judicial magistrate (south) issued non-bailable warrants for the policemen and directed the SHO CID police station to arrest them and produce them in court till Oct 4.

Suspect remanded

A suspect detained at Karachi Airport for allegedly keeping explosive material was remanded in police custody on Friday.

The airport security force arrested Naeem Akhtar on Thursday when he was about to leave for Islamabad and claimed to have recovered material from his possession that could be used for making explosive devices.

The suspect was brought before a judicial magistrate (Malir), who handed him over to police on four-day physical remand and directed the investigation officer to produce him in court on the next hearing.

A case (FIR No.230/11) was under Section ¾ of Explosive Substance Act at the Airport police station.