Karachi News


DAWN/The News International, KARACHI	5 April 2006, Wednesday, 6 Rabi-ul-Awal 1427

www.karachipage.com (click on underlined key-words/dates to get more details)
Altaf vows to make Sindh prosperous
Man shot dead; dismembered body found
Security guards burgle 50 shops
5 SSP men sentenced to death
LEA man killed in landmine blast
Man injured in Taliban firing on music function
Mufti Shakir group restarts FM transmission
Sherpao meets US officials
Saudis still funding terrorism: US
Pakistani jailed in US for plotting to aid terrorists
Altaf vows to make Sindh prosperous
KARACHI, April 4: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has vowed to make Sindh a prosperous and developed province. He was addressing the MQM coordination committee’s meeting in London during which the prevailing political situation in the country and organizational matters were reviewed. The performance of Haq Parast elected members at all tiers was reviewed at the meeting.

Mr Hussain stressed the need for improving organizational mechanism and skills. In this regard, he emphasised the need for convening more training seminars. He called upon elected representatives of the party at all levels to devote their energy for serving the masses by addressing their problems and development projects.

MQM chief said that peace and tranquillity were the key factors because only improved law and order would attract foreign investment thereby creating more job opportunities for the people. He called upon party workers not to be misled by any propaganda and advised them to remain calm and peaceful.

The meeting was attended among others by Dr Imran Farooq, Tariq Javed, Dr Farooq Sattar, Saleem Shahzad, Mohammad Anwar, Syed Tariq Mir, Ashfaq Javed Kazmi, Asif Siddiqui and Mustafa Azizabadi. Mr Hussain’s elder brother Iqbal Hussain was especially invited to the meeting.

Man shot dead; dismembered body found

KARACHI: A man was killed while a slaughtered body was found, police said on Tuesday.

Ulfat Hussain, 35, a resident of Rasheedabad, was killed by Bashirzada, one of his neighbours, when he opened fire upon him after an exchange of words within Baldia Town police jurisdiction.

BODY FOUND: A body of a 32-year-old man with dismembered head was found in two pieces lying in a drain course in Korangi police precincts.

The medico-legal experts said that unidentified persons had sliced the head of this man from his limb by slaughtering with some sharp-edged weapon.

ACCIDENT: Muhammad Ramzan, 24, a resident of Jumma Goth Landhi, was crushed under the wheels of a locomotive when he was crossing the railway track within Landhi Railway police limits.

INJURED: Shahid Khan, 40, suffered wounds when a stray bullet hit him near Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in Shamim Shaheed police precincts.

PCG ARREST: The Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) arrested a drug peddler in open sea and claimed to have seized huge quantity of liquors from his possession. According to the details, the PCG officers signaled the boat driver to stop. At this, the four drug peddlers on board jumped into the sea and tried to escape. The PCG Jawans managed to catch one of them and seized 26,000 bottles of liquors.

FIRE: Fabrics and other goods worth thousands of rupees were gutted when a fire sparked in Rahim Building situated on MA Jinnah Road.

At least 12 fire tenders were sent to the spot, where a huge fire engulfed the garment’s factory situated at the second floor of the building. The fire-fighters extinguished the fire after two hours.

Security guards burgle 50 shops

KARACHI: Two security guards looted at least 50 shops of cellphones worth according to a conservative estimate Rs15 million, from the newly inaugurated Faria Mobile Market in Gulshan-e-Iqbal police jurisdiction.

The shopkeepers said that when they reached the market to open their shops, they found Nawaz Khan and Abdullah, the two security guards, absent from their duty.

The mysterious disappearance of the security guards created doubts and after seeing the situation on ground, it transpired that the security guards had burgled the shops, they added.

Police have lodged a report and advised the shopkeepers to assess their losses on individual basis.

Shamim Ahmed, 53, a builder and resident of Block 6 Gulshan-e-Iqbal and his security guard Mukhtar, 30, were wounded critically when armed bandits opened fire upon them, as the security guard resisted a cash-snatching bid in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The injured were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where both died.

Asif Ejaz Shaikh, the TPO Gulshan-e-Iqbal, said that Shamim Ahmed was supervising the construction work at a site in Block III Gulistan-e-Jauhar when two armed bandits intercepted him.

On the resistance of the bodyguard, the robbers opened indiscriminate fire and fled, he added.

Muhammad Riaz, a clearing and forwarding agent, was robbed of Rs1.4 million, mobile phone and other valuables when four highwaymen intercepted him near Bakra Hotel in Kharadar police jurisdiction.

A gang of housebreakers entered the house of Asad Ali in Artillery Meadan police jurisdiction and looted cash Rs0.7 million, gold ornaments and other valuables.

Another group of bandits barged into the house of Kamran Karim in North Nazimabad police jurisdiction and looted cash Rs0.34 million, jewellery and other valuables.

Six dacoits looted Kalam Ahmed in Pakistan Bazaar police jurisdiction by taking away cash Rs 40,000, jewellery, a licensed pistol and other valuables from his house.

Cash, gold ornaments and other precious goods were looted from the house of Abdul Razzak in Tamoria, Waqar Hussain in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Ashfaque Ahmed in Brigade police limits.

Muhammad Jawaid was robbed of Rs 28,000, mobile phone and 750 Saudi Riyals when four highwaymen intercepted him in Gulshan-e-Iqbal vicinity of the Aziz Bhatti police precinct.

Aashiq Ali was deprived of Rs0.15m, mobile phone and other valuables in Korangi police limits.

A dozen bandits entered into a roadside hotel owned by Muhammad Nawaz in Korangi police jurisdiction and looted cash, mobile phones and other valuables. Imran and Meer Muhammad were robbed of their cash, cellphones and other valuables in Sachchal police jurisdiction.

Mudassir Shah and Ashfaq Ahmed were deprived of their cash, jewellery, mobile phones and other valuables in Nabi Bukhash and Clifton police limits respectively.

VEHICLES: At least 13 vehicles including nine motorcycles were hijacked from across the city on Tuesday.

Two cars and three motorcycles were snatched, while two cars and six motorcycles were stolen. Police claimed to have recovered 11 vehicles including four motorcycles.

As many as 55 citizens were deprived of their cellphones in the metropolis.

5 SSP men sentenced to death

KARACHI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) for Karachi Division on Tuesday awarded death sentence, 17 years’ jail and fine to five activists of banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) in the case of firing on a prisoners van.

The prosecution alleged that in February 2002 Mohammad Faisal alias Faisal Pehalwan, Sabir Ali Waseem, Mazhar-ul-Hassan, Muzammil and Malik Tasadduq of the outlawed SSP, along with the absconding co-accused, attacked the van (SP-9062), which was carrying some under-trial sectarian workers to the Central Prison after producing them in the city courts, near Bohra Pir area.

In the attack police constable Mohammad Shakil Arshad, under-trial prisoner, Saqib son of Meher Din and a pedestrian Abid were killed while five others were injured. The court of Justice Haq Nawaz Baloch, under Section-302 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, awarded death sentence to all the convicts. He directed each of them to undergo five-year imprisonment and pay Rs 100,000 fine with additional jail term of one year in case of default on payment of fine.

In addition, they have to undergo 10-year jail on the charge of killing a policeman, an offence punishable under section 324 of the ATA, 1997 and two-year jail along with Rs 5,000 fine for firing on police, punishable under section 225 of the ATA, 1997. The convicts were also fined Rs 50,000 on the charge of injuring five men, including a constable, Nazir Ahmad.

The court directed the convicts to pay compensation amount to the legal heirs of the dead and the injured. Defence counsel were advocates Amir Mansoob Qureshi, MA Wasti and Ashraf Mughul.

The public prosecutor, Mazhar Qayyum, opined that the attack was planned for the release of Dildar alias Dilawar, an SSP activist who was present in the van at the time of attack. The same court acquitted Faisal Pehlwan in another case under section 13 (d) of ATA, 1997, giving him benefit of the doubt when no arms were recovered from him.

LEA man killed in landmine blast

QUETTA: An official of the law-enforcement agencies was killed in a landmine explosion in the Habib Rahi area of the Dera Bugti district on Tuesday. Officials told The News that the victim struck the landmine during his routine patrolling of the Habib Rahi area. He died on the spot.

Man injured in Taliban firing on music function

TANK, April 4: One person was injured when local Taliban attacked a music function held to mark a wedding in the Maghazai village here on Monday night. Witnesses said the Taliban had warned the family of the grooms, Akhtar Zaman Bhittani and Umar Zaman Bhittani, against holding a music function. However, drummers were called to entertain the guests. When people were dancing to the beat of drums, the Taliban opened fire at the ceremony injuring one Nawar Khan Bhittani.