KARACHI, Oct 8: An anti-terrorism court put off on Wednesday hearing of the prisoners’ van attack case against the workers of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba as one of the defence counsel did not turn up.
Three workers of the banned religious outfit — Mohammed Faisal alias Pehalwan, Sabir Ali Waseem and Mazharul Hasan — have been charged with the attack that had killed two people, including a constable, Shakil.
The prisoners’ van, carrying some sectarian workers, was ambushed on Feb 28, 2002, near Bohra Pir within the limits of Nabi Bux police. The van also carried Dilawar Hussain, a worker of the banned SSP who was later condemned to death in a sectarian murder case.
Amir Mansoob Qureshi, counsel for accused Sabir Waseem, moved an application in the court, seeking adjournment on the ground that he was engaged in the Sindh High Court.
Judge Aley Maqbool Rizvi of the ATC-1, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, granted the defence counsel’s application and put off the hearing till Oct 10.
Faisal Pehalwan, who was earlier sentenced to death for murdering Sunni Tehreek chief Maulana Salim Qadri, is being represented by Ashraf Mughul. Maqboolur Rehman is appearing for Mazharul Hasan.
The defence counsel and the special public prosecutor Abdul Waheed, along with the prosecution witnesses, were present.
The police showed eight SSP workers and four unknown Burmese as absconders. The workers were: Qari Asadullah, Asif Ramzi, Malik Tassaduq, Ata-ur-Rahman alias Naeem Bukhari, Zubair alias Chishti, Zulfiqar alias Zulfi, Muzammil alias Haider and Abdul Qadir Baloch.
The court declared them proclaimed offenders after the police informed it that the eight SSP workers seemed to have gone underground to avoid their arrest as they could not be tracked down despite exhausted efforts.
Accused Asif Ramzi is still shown absconder in the official record.
Similarly, another accused Malik Tassaduq has been shown absconder in the case, although he is very much in the custody and even being produced in another ATC.
According to informed sources, accused Qari Asadullah was recently arrested in Punjab and Abdul Qadir Baloch in Karachi. But they are still absconders in the police and court files.
KIDNAPPING CASE: Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 put off the hearing of a kidnapping for ransom case till Oct 10 after deposition by fifth prosecution witness.
Ghulam Hussain Soomro, Mohammed Akbar and Imran have been charged with the kidnapping of Abdus Samad for Rs3 million ransom on Aug 24 in Garden West.
According to prosecution, four men came to the residence of Mohammed Hanif, a prize bond dealer, around 10am. They asked his elder son to take a file from their car for his father. The two sons of the dealer accompanied them to the car and they forcibly took away Samad.
The younger brother, a student of class seven, was able to remember the registration number of the kidnappers’ car, which belonged to a rent-a-car agency.
The kidnappers demanded Rs3 million as ransom for the release of Abdus Samad, a matriculation student.
The police arrested Ghulam Hussain Soomro, who had rented the car (H-7296). The arrest of the accused resulted in the arrest of his two accomplices and recovery of the hostage on Aug 28.
Three accused, Arshad alias Pappu son of Haji Lalu, Rustam alias Haider and Ilyas, have been shown declared absconders.
Prosecution witness Bakht Ameer deposed before the court that he was the watchman at the Khurram Terrace, where the prize bond dealer was residing. He said he was on duty between 6am and 6pm on Aug 24 when accused Ghulam Hussain and two others came to the Khurrum Terrace to visit Hanif.
He said he contacted Hanif’s apartment on the intercom to inform him of the visitors. However, he said, no one responded to the call and the visitors left the apartment.
He said they again came after 10 minutes and talked to Abdus Samad, who along with his younger brother, Qadir, came out and met the visitors.
The watchman said the visitors and the two brothers left the reception of the apartments and after a short while Qadir returned crying.
He said the young boy told him that the visitors had forcibly taken away his brother in a car.
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