ATC indicts alleged killer of two

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday framed charges on a suspected target killer who allegedly killed two people and wounded four others in a firing incident in the Old City neighborhood eight years ago.

The ATC-VII judge read out the charge to Faraz Mumtaz, alias Faraz Qureshi, that he along with his absconding accomplices killed Muhammad Shahid and Liaquat Ali and injured Nasir, Govind, Shahid and Ayesha in January 2011.

The FIR of the incident was registered under the sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with the section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) at the Nabi Bux police station.

Mumtaz pleaded not guilty to the charge and opted to contest after which the judge issued notices to witnesses to appear in the court and record their testimonies on August 22.

Two sentenced to 5 years

Meanwhile, the ATC-IV judge sentenced two accused to five years in prison after convicting them of firing at police and possessing illicit weapons. They were also imposed a fine of Rs30,000.

According to the prosecution, Irfan and Ramzan were arrested on August 14, 2017 after an encounter with the police in Ahsan Borhi Goth in Surjani Town. It said that the police had signalled the accused, who were on a motorcycle, to stop but they opened fire in a bid to escape. The accused were arrested after a shootout and two unlicensed pistols were found on them, the prosecution said.

FIRs were registered against the accused under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324, 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), and 34 of the PPC read with the section 7 of the ATA and the section 23(1)(a) of the Sindh Arms Act at the Surjani Town police station.

The judge awarded the accused five years each for attacking the police and imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on each of them, which in case of non-payment would be turned into an additional one-year imprisonment.

They were also sentenced to two years each for possessing illicit weapons and were told to pay a fine of Rs10,000, which in case of non-payment would be turned into an additional six-month imprisonment.

Man sentenced to 10 years

The ATC-X judge awarded an accused 10 years in prison on the charges of attacking police and possessing an illicit weapon and explosives.

Muhammad Aslam, alias PC, was arrested by the Shah Faisal police earlier this year after an encounter and an unlicensed pistol and explosives were found on him, the prosecution said. The judge ordered the convict to pay a fine of Rs100,000 to the state or face six more months in prison.

Meanwhile, the same judge sentenced another accused to 14 years in jail for attacking police and possessing an illicit weapon and explosives.

Zaheer Ahmed, alias Gul, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department last year along with two others who were acquitted by the court which gave them the benefit of the doubt.