Two MQM men jailed for 12 years for possessing illegal arms 

An anti-terrorism court sentenced two Muttahdia Qaumi Movement activists on Tuesday to 12 years in prison each for possessing illegal arms and explosive material.

Kamran alias Kami and Arif alias Langra had been arrested in Orangi Town in 2014 after a police encounter. During the trial, the prosecution proved the charges against both men.

In a separate trial, another ATC acquitted MQM activist Zubair Shaikh of charges of possessing illegal arms and explosive material after the prosecution failed to prove the allegations. 

Zubair Shaikh was riding a car of another MQM leader, Salman Mujahid Balcoh, in September 2015 when Rangers’ personnel arrested him.

He was later handed over to police, who registered a case against him. However, the prosecution failed to present any case properties (explosive material and illegal arms). 

Shahid Hamid case

An ATC expressed its displeasure after police failed to ensure a key suspect, Minhaj Qazi, appeared in the murder trial of KESC managing director Shahid Hamid, his driver and guard. 

The ATC was informed that Qazi was serious ill and could not turn up at the hearing. The court ordered the police to ensure the suspect appeared on October 6.

Three judicial magistrates who had been recording statements of prosecution witnesses against Qazi were present in the courtroom. 

Advocate Rana Khalid told the court that he was assigned as an attorney for the Rangers to contest case against Qazi. The court directed him to present the necessary notification in this regard at the next hearing.

Shahid Hamid’s widow and son have identified Qazi before a judicial magistrate as the one of the attackers who murdered the KESC managing director in 1997.

Qazi had appeared in custody on May 14 before the judicial magistrate’s court for an identification parade. He was lined up with 10 other suspects and the widow and the son of the victim identified him as one of the killers, including MQM activist Saulat Mirza.

Mirza was hanged at Machh Jail last year after an ATC had found him guilty and awarded him the capital punishment.

China-cutting case

An accountability court (AC) declared Muhammad Rafique, Akbari Begum, Asghari Begum and other absconding accused as pro-claimed offenders in a China-cutting case. 

The court had been issuing non-baileable warrants for the arrest of 12 absconding accused, and on Tuesday after the investigation officer (IO) said it was hard to arrestm, it declared them pro-claimed offenders. 

It is alleged that the accused had caused a huge loss to the national exchequer by illegally selling more than 1,200 plots.

The court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to initiate proceedings, including the confiscation of moveable and immovable properties of the absconders. 

NAB had filed a reference against Farid Ahmed Yousfani, a former director of Lines Area Settlement Project, deputy director Farid Naseem, Shahid Umer, Atta Abbas and other suspects for committing corruption worth Rs5 billion. These accused are already under detention.

According to NAB, Yousfani and others were involved in illegal allotment of plots to builders and land grabbers as well as in China-cutting, a term often used for illegal occupation sale of state land.

It is alleged that the money collected from land grabbing and illegal sale was used for funding terrorism.