Man found in possession of 12 unlicensed pistols denied bail

A sessions court has dismissed a bail application of a man in a case pertaining to possession of illicit arms. Mohammad Zahid was arrested after allegedly being found in possession of 12 unlicensed pistols in the Saeedabad area in January this year.

Additional Sessions Judge (West) Sohail Ahmed Mashori dismissed an application of the accused seeking post-arrest bail, ruling that he didn’t deserve bail at this stage. He noted that as per the case record, the police recovered 12 pistols following a tip-off about a huge cache of arms transported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi for creating a law and order situation in the metropolis already facing a surge in crime.

The judge remarked that there had been an appalling surge in crimes across the city with the use of weapons, putting life, liberty and safety of an ordinary man at risk. “Such rising tide of crime needs to be dealt with seriously in accordance with the law,” he added.

State prosecutor Muhammad Ashraf Qaiser stated that on January 26, 2024, a CTD team on the lookout for absconding accused and terrorists received spy information about the presence of a suspicious looking man near the main entrance of the Police Training Centre Saeedabad. The suspect was said to be carrying a black bag containing weapons, he added.

He said the team reached the spot in no time and apprehended the suspect, adding that 12 pistols of American origin with lasers and ammunition were recovered from his bag during search, after which he was taken into custody.

On the other hand, the defence counsel contended that his client was implicated in a false case for refusing to pay a bribe. He argued that the accused was arrested in a densely populated area, but no private witness was listed by the CTD to act as mashir of the alleged arrest and recovery. An FIR was lodged against the accused by the CTD under Section 23(i)a of the Sindh Arms Act.