ATC puts off hearing against Mirza, 11 companions till Jan 27

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has adjourned the hearing of a trial against former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and several of his companions till January 27.

Mirza, a dissident leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, attended Thursday’s hearing, but his companions did not turn up at the court. The court has already indicted 54 people, including Mirza, over charges of possession of illegal arms, creating a law and order situation and threatening police and government officials.

Reading out the charges, the judge inquired whether or not the accused had committed the crimes. All the accused pleaded not guilty, however. They are on bail in the four cases registered at various police stations in the Badin district. Mirza and his 11 companions have been acquitted of ransacking charges by a court in a case registered at the Aram Bagh police station in May 2015.

After hearing the arguments from both the sides, Judicial Magistrate Aneesur Rehman Baroro had acquitted the accused under Section 249-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, saying the prosecution had failed to present any sound evidence against them. Granting the acquittal under Section 249 at any state of the trial is the discretion of the judge.

The court had already heard the arguments of the defence counsel and issued a notice to the state attorney to contest the acquittal pleas. After hearing the arguments tendered by the state attorney, the court examined the facts and arguments of the defence counsel and acquitted all accused.

The Aram Bagh police had registered the FIR against Mirza under sections 146 (rioting), 147 (punishment for rioting), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Mirza was also accused of forcibly climbing onto a police’s armoured personnel carrier, from where he delivered a speech and allegedly threatened police officers. He had addressed his supporters who had gathered around the premises of the ATCs. In this case, the prosecution had claimed he would present 11 witnesses. Another similar case against Mirza and others was registered at the Darakhshan police station.