Uzair Baloch acquitted in one more case

An anti-terrorism court acquitted outlawed Peoples Aman Committee chief Uzair Baloch and co-accused Zakir alias Dada on Tuesday for lack of evidence in a 2012 case pertaining to charges of rioting, an armed attack on police and causing terrorism.

The ATC-VII judge, who conducted the trial at the judicial complex inside the central prison, announced the verdict reserved after the recording of evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Baloch and his accomplice. He ordered that the accused be released forthwith if their custody was not required in any other case.

An FIR was registered at the Kalakot police station under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The alleged Lyari warlord had been named in dozens of cases pertaining to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, extortion, encounters with law enforcers. He has thus far been acquitted in over 20 cases either due to a lack of evidence or the benefit of the doubt. In April 2020, a military court had sentenced Baloch to 12 years in jail for working for an international spy agency.