Hearings to be conducted at Karachi Central Jail
The Anti-Terrorism Court-VII has been assigned to hear seven cases against Lyari gangster and the former chief of banned People’s Amn Committee, Uzair Baloch, and his accomplices who are under detention.
The judge of the ATC-VII will be conducting hearing in a court housed at the Karachi central jail. The cases are about kidnapping and killing of a businessman who hailed from Balochistan, possession of explosive material, killing of policemen during the Lyari operation in 2012 and other offences. The notification of transfer of the seven cases to the ATC was issued by the Sindh High Court’s member inspection team (MIT).
The MIT informed the ATC-VII about the transfer of the cases to the court and that the central prison authorities had also been told about the decision of hearing of the cases in a court housed at the central prison.
Uzair Baloch is facing more than 50 cases of murder, attempt to murder, police encounter, attack on police teams, killing of policemen, possession of illegal arms, murder of Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu and others. Seven of the cases have now been transferred to the ATC-VII.
The custody of Uzair Baloch was taken by the military personnel on April 11 under the provisions of the Official Secret Act, 1923 as he has been accused of exchanging sensitive and secret information to some foreign forces and committing anti-state activities.
Uzair Baloch, Amin Buledi, Faisal Niazi, Badshah Khan, Jahangir Khan, Naeem Lahooti and others were also due to be indicted in 16 cases by a sessions court concerned. But as he was not produced before the court, the charges could not be framed in these cases by the judge of the additional district and sessions court (South).
The judge concerned had also heard the cases in a court housed at the central prison. Now after the transfer of seven cases to the ATC-VII, the legal status of the cases has been changed and the ATC would hear the cases and decide the legal matters in this regard.
In one of the police attack case, Uzair Baloch and others are accused of killing several police officers in Lyari in 2012. Some citizens were also killed in this incident.
The additional district and sessions judge (South) has already acquitted Uzair Baloch and his brother, Zubair Baloch, from the charges of possession of illegal arms. The court, however, had directed the authorities not to release the two accused if they were involved in some other cases. Later on, Uzair Baloch was taken away by the Pakistan Army from the prison.
Other accused in this case were Faisal Niazi, Badsha Khan, Naim Lahoti and Jahangir Khan. The court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the absconding accused, saying the arrest warrants would work till the entire life of the four accused.
Uzair Baloch was arrested in 2016 and he is facing dozens of other cases. The cases of possession of illegal arms, explosive material and police encounter were lodged with the Nabi Bukhsh plice station.
Uzair Baloch was sent to the central prison on judicial remand on May 11, 2016 over charges of possessing illegal arms, including a rocket launcher.
Previously, he was remanded to the Nabi Bukhsh police for 14 days. However, he is now likely to be tried by a military court as well due to his alleged anti-state activities.