Four convicted of attacking Rangers checkposts

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday convicted four people of attacking two Rangers check posts in Korangi with explosives.

The ATC-XIII judge awarded 14 years’ jail terms to Ahmed Hussain Salman alias SP and Ubaidullah Siddiqui alias Habib Kala and 10 years to Salman alias Amya and Kamran Siddiqui alias Kammo.

All the four people were found guilty of attacking the Rangers checkpost in Korangi Crossing on March 18, 2016, with hand grenades, injuring three personnel and a civilian, and another checkpost of the paramilitary force was attacked in Korangi 2 ½ area on March 21, 2016. No casualties occurred in the second attack.

According to the prosecution, Ahmed and Ubaidullah were arrested from Shah Faisal Colony No 4 on May 26, 2016 and, on their pointation, the two others were arrested from Shah Faisal Colony No 5 in June 2016.

The court during the trial examined 21 witnesses and found their testimonies unshakeable. The judge while pronouncing the verdict observed that the prosecution succesfully established its case against the accused while they could not prove their innocence.

Meanwhile, all the convicts were fined with Rs150,000 each which in case of default will turn into additional imprisonment for upto six months. Salman and Kamran were on bail and they were taken into custody after the verdict. The cases were registered on the complaint of the state at the Zaman Town police station.

Fake arms licences case

An anti-terrorism court reserved on Thursday its order on an application seeking the transfer of a case pertaining to the sale of weapons on fake licences to a sessions court after hearing arguments from both the sides.

Police claimed busting a syndicate of government employees and arms dealers who would create fake licences to sell weapons and ammunition to street criminals, target killers and terrorist organisations.

The case investigation stems from the arrests of two people on a tip-off in early January, who were allegedly found in possession of arms licences, CNICs and ammunition. They led the investigators to their suspected accomplice who was the incharge of an arms branch at a deputy commissioner’s office.

Nine suspects, including government officials and arms dealers, have obtained bail while seven are absconding. The FIR of the case was registered under sections 420, 468, 471, 474, 109, 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 read with sections 7 and 21(I) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1999 at AVCC/CIA police station.

A lawyer representing the defence moved an application before the ATC-XVI judge under section 23 of the ATA, contending that the investigation could not establish that the weapons sold on allegedly fake licences were used in acts of terrorism. He added that therefore the case should be transferred to a regular court for trial.

The prosecutor opposed the application, stating that the probe was still underway and added that preliminary investigation had already mentioned that the weapons sold on the fake licences had been used in crimes which include targeted killings. The judge reserved his order on the application until the next hearing on May 7.