Wali Babar’s murder convict acquitted in weapon and explosive case

KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday acquitted a purported hitman who killed journalist Wali Babar, of a case pertaining to possessing illicit weapons and explosives. Kamran alias Zeeshan Shani was arrested in June by the police from his hideout in the Gulshan-e-Maymar area, nine years after he was awarded death sentence in absentia by the ATC in Kandhkot for murdering the Geo News reporter. Following his arrest, the police had booked him in another case for possessing unlicensed weapon and explosive material, which were allegedly recovered from him during the raid. The prosecution, however, could not prove this claim in the court because of which the ATC-XV judge relieved the accused of the charge, observing that he was given the benefit of doubt. Geo News reporter Wali Babar was gunned down in the Liaquatabad area of Karachi on January 13, 2011, when he was returning home from the office.