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Published 23 Apr, 2003 12:00am

HYDERABAD: Accused in hijacking case remanded

HYDERABAD, April 22: The Site police obtained a two-day remand of an accused in a PIA Fokker hijacking case of 1998 from the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Hyderabad, on Monday.

Imam Bux Bizenjo had surrendered to the Karachi investigation team-I of the Clifton police, the Site police informed the court.

The ATC remanded him in police custody for two days.

The Site police said that the case was being investigated by the Karachi police under the directives of the provincial police officer (PPO) and that the accused had been taken to Karachi.

According to the Site police, Bizenjo was one of 14 absconding accused in the PIA Fokker hijacking case, lodged at the Site police station.

The ATC had already awarded capital punishment to three main accused of the case in October 1998. They were Shahsawar, Sabir and Shabbir. They were arrested on May 24, 1998 at the Hyderabad airport following an operation by police and army officials.

The hijackers had hijacked the Karachi-bound Fokker after it took off from Turbat with more than 30 passengers on board as they wanted to take it to India.

The pilot of the plane, Captain Uzair Khan had landed the plane at the Hyderabad airport, duping the hijackers into believing that they had landed in the Bhuj airfield of India.

The appeal of the accused against their conviction had been rejected by the Sindh High Court, Karachi bench, and subsequently by the apex court.

The court had, however, released co-accused of the case, Sharif, an official of the Airport Security Force, Turbat.

The mercy appeal of Shahsawar, Shabbir and Sabir were now pending with the president.

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