ATC adjourns hearing till June 8 as Rangers counsel goes on leave

MQM activists facing trial for June 1, 1995 Sindh Assembly,Secretariat bombings sent on 14-day physical remand

Karachi

The hearing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement activist Waqas Shah’s murder case was, on Wednesday, adjourned till June 8 by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) after it was informed that the Rangers’ counsel would be on leave till June 4.

The case was registered against a fellow activist of the party, Asif Ali, - joint in-charge of MQM’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar unit - who was arrested by the paramilitary force on June 25, 2015, from Shahdadpur.

The court had in the previous hearing declined the accused Asif Ali’s - a fellow activist of the party – request to have the case transferred to a regular court from the ATC.

After having heard the defense and state attorney’s arguments, judge Farman Ali Kanasro concluded that the case was rightly registered under the provisions dealing with the Anti-Terrorist Act and would be heard in the ATC.

The Rangers’ counsel had strongly opposed the transfer plea, arguing that the murder came under the ambit of terrorist activities and the accused should be tried before the ATC instead of a subordinate court, while the suspect’s attorney maintained that his client had not committed any terrorist activity.

Ali had in his statement submitted that it was a Rangers soldier who had fired the bullet, to disperse the crowd following the March 11 raid at MQM headquarters, which pierced through Waqas’ body.

However, the paramilitary force alleged that Shah was killed by a small fire arm, not the paramilitary force does not use. They maintained that the accused had been abandoned by senior party leaders following which he fled to Shahdadpur.

The MQM had also in its statement maintained that the Rangers personnel had opened straight fire at its workers after its supporters had gathered around the headquarters to protest the raid.

MQM activists remanded

Two activists of the MQM, Nasir alias Khaji and Faheem alias Mirchi, were handed over to the Artillery Maidan police on a 14-day physical remand on charges of carrying out bomb blasts and firing rockets at the Sindh Secretariat and Sindh Assembly building in 1995.

The accused were apprehended by Rangers three months ago. They were produced before the ATC concerned following expiration of their 90-day preventive detentions.

Rangers counsel had further alleged that the activists were associated with MQM activist Saeed alias Bharam, and were also involved in carrying out targeted killings of members of security agencies and other terrorist activities.

On June 1, 1995 two powerful blasts had rocked the buildings located in Naval Colony. Seven rockets were fired at the Sindh Secretariat, destroying several offices; no casualties were, however, reported.

‘Terrorist’ remanded

Associated with a banned terrorist outfit, suspect Muneer Mufti was handed over to officials of the Preedy police station on a five-day physical remand.

The ATC concerned was informed that Mufti was in possession of explosive materials and had also committed other heinous crimes, thus, needed to be thoroughly interrogated.

Life imprisonment

Muhammad Sabir was handed down a life sentence by additional district and sessions judge (West) Maqbool Ahmed Memon for having committed a murder; the case was registered at the Mochko police station. A fine of Rs100,000 was also imposed on him, failure to pay which would result in an additional one-year imprisonment.