ATC rejects bail pleas of Uzair Baloch in six cases

An anti-terrorism court has dismissed bail pleas of alleged Lyari gang war kingpin Uzair Baloch in a total of six cases, involving charges of murder, encounter, possession of illegal weapons and explosives, and terrorism.

Uzair, the chief of the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee, has been nominated in around 60 cases related to murder, abduction, attacks on law enforcers, extortion, encounter and terrorism. He has already been acquitted in over 20 cases. He had filed applications seeking post-arrest bail in six cases filed against him and others at the Kalakot police station during a 2012 operation by the law enforcement agencies against outlaws in Lyari.

The ATC-XII judge, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, announced the verdict on the bail pleas after hearing arguments from both the defence and prosecution sides. He dismissed the applications observing that Uzair did not deserve the concession of bail at the present stage of trial in the cases.

According to the prosecution, Uzair and his friends Muhammad Ramzan, Zakir Dada, Zubair Baloch, Muhammad Shahid, alias MCB, Abdul Ghaffar and Ameen Buledi were booked for attacking law enforcers with firearms and explosives during the operation. Four people were killed in an exchange of fire with the law enforcers.

It said the accused persons at the behest of Uzair had attacked the law enforcers with illegal weapons and hand grenades with the intent to kill them.

The six identical cases were lodged under the sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 353 (encounter), 395 (dacoity), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) read with the sections 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act. and the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Kalakot police station on behalf of the state.