ATC awards life term to six, acquits one in kidnapping case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday awarded life sentence to six men, Asghar Ali, Mukhtiar Ali, Danish and others, who had been charged with kidnapping for ransom, possessing illegal arms and police encounter.

However, a suspect, Muhammad Ali, was acquitted as the prosecution failed to establish his guilt.

According to the prosecution, Asghar, Mukhtiar, Danish, Muhammad Ali and others had kidnapped a citizen in 2015 within the limits of the Saeedabad police station. The kidnappers demanded Rs500,000 in ransom, the prosecution claimed, adding that the accused freed the citizen when the police chased them.

They were arrested after a brief encounter by the chasing police team who also seized illegal arms from their possession, the prosecution maintained. The ATC mentioned in the verdict that charges against six men, including Asghar, Mukhtiar and Danish, were proved by the prosecution and they were liable to be awarded life term. However in the case of Muhammad Ali, it was fair to acquit him as he had not been found guilty.

Naqeebullah killing case

SSP Dr Rizwan Ahmed, who is the investigation officer (IO) in the case of the killings of Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others, submitted a report on the police efforts to arrest the absconding cops in the case.

It was maintained in the report that several raids had been conducted to trace the absconder police officials, however, no success was met.

The IO asked the court to declare the absconders as proclaimed offenders since they could not be arrested despite all the efforts. He requested the court to allow the police to initiate the proceedings of declaring the accused as proclaimed offenders, which included confiscation of their properties.

The court observed that a petition seeking transfer of the case to another court was pending with the Sindh High Court (SHC); therefore, it was not fair to pass an order before the disposal of that petition. The court adjourned the hearing till November 19.

The key accused, former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, and others were present on the hearing. Anwar and his other team members have been accused of killing Naqeebullah and three other citizens in a fake police encounter. A charge-sheet was submitted to the court in which it was claimed that a cop, who had turned approver in the case, had disclosed that on the day of the fake police encounter, he was phoned and summoned by Shah Latif SHO Amanullah Marwat.

The approver said when he visited SHO Marwat, he found Anwar was there along with other police officers, including Shoaib Shaikh alias Shooter. He claimed that the team rushed four men Naqeebullah, Nazar Jan, Sabir and Ishaque, to a poultry farm located in Shah Latif Town after which he heard the sound of firing.

The court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Marwat, Anar Khan, Shoaib Shooter and others.