Uzair Baloch, another accused acquitted in 2009 police attack case

A sessions court on Wednesday acquitted two alleged Lyari gangsters, including the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair Baloch, in a 15-year-old case pertaining to encounter with police and attempted murder.

Uzair Baloch and Abdul Ghaffar, alias Mama, had been charged with assaulting police with the intention of killing within the limits of the Steel Town police station in August 2009. The additional sessions judge (South), who conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his order after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

He ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against both the accused, acquitting them due to lack of evidence. The judge ordered the court office to issue release order of Uzair, who was produced in custody by jail authorities. However, the Lyari kingpin is unlikely to be released immediately as he is facing other criminal cases pending before anti-terrorism courts and sessions courts. Ghaffar had already been granted bail in the present case.

According to the prosecution, police received a tip-off that Abdul Rehman, alias Rehman Dakait, wanted in multiple criminal cases including those pertaining to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and robbery, was heading to Kathore on August 10, 2009, when police tried to intercept him on the link road. An encounter ensued, resulting in the death of Rehman and his three associates Aurangzaib, alias Baba, Nazer, alias Balla, and Aqil.

One of the deceased revealed to police before succumbing to his injuries that Uzair and Ghaffar were also present and managed to escape the scene, the prosecution mentioned.

However, the defence counsel argued that his clients were not present at the scene and had falsely been implicated in the present case. He said there were contradictions in the evidence of the prosecution, casting doubt on its case. The lawyer pleaded with the judge to acquit them for lack of evidence.

An FIR was lodged at the Steel Town police station under the sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on behalf of the state.

Uzair was booked in dozens of cases pertaining to murder, kidnapping, encounter with police during the 2012 operation in Lyari, grenade attacks on law enforcement personnel, and running an extortion racket. However, he has already been acquitted in more than two dozen cases due to insufficient evidence or the benefit of reasonable doubt. In April 2020, Uzair was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a military court in an espionage case.