ATC awards five-year jail term to extortionist

Karachi

An Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday awarded five years’ imprisonment to an extortionist, Khalid Lashari.

He was convicted of taking Rs 500,000 as extortion money from a man, Sagheer Ahmed, in 2014. Ahmed had registered a case against the extortionist, who was later arrested from the area Ittehad Town police station.  

Mirza’s case adjourned

Four cases against former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza could not be heard as the judge of the ATC concerned was on leave.

The court previously had announced framing charges against Mirza and his around 100 accomplices on the day of next hearing, but the case was adjourned until January 9 due to the absence of the honorable judge. 

However, Mirza and his associates, who have been granted bail, were present in the court.

In the cases registered in police stations of Badin, Hyderabad and Karachi, the disgruntled leader of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) was alleged to have attempted murder, attack a police station and forcibly shut down shops in a market in District Badin.

These suspects — Muhammad Khan, Khuda Bukhsh and Hashim— are also accused of attacking a police station and causing damage to government property, looting Rs3 million from a shopkeeper and disturbing law and order situation.

Since the three accused had not surrendered before the court, police arrested them and produced in the court. They were also taken into the custody for interrogation.