DAWN/The News International, KARACHI
29 May 1999, Saturday, 13 Safar 1420


Muttahida activist held

KARACHI: The Garden police arrested on Friday night one Muttahida activist Shafiq Kalia with head money of one million rupees. Police were informed about presence of the Muttahida activist, Shafiq Kalia allegedly involved in cases of killings and other heinous crimes in a flat in Soldier Bazar. Raiding the place police nabbed him.

Defence concludes arguments in Said case

KARACHI: The defence side almost shattered the whole prosecution by pointing out a number of lacunas, infirmities and contradiction in the evidence brought forth in Hakim Said case on Friday. Two defence counsels (DC) concluded their final arguments and the trial court put of the case till Saturday for arguments of DCs Mehmood Alam Rizvi and others.

While advancing his contentions before the Anti-Terorism Court headed by Dr Qamaruddin Bohra, advocate Sardar Muhammad Ishaque contended that complainant in the case Hakim Manzoor had not mentioned in the FIR that he had seen the culprits but before the court he improved upon his earlier statement saying that he had seen them after he was injured and was crawling towards Dawakahan and could recognize them. The counsel pleaded that it was impossible for an injured man to memorise features and physique of the accused in identification parade. Sardar Ishaq advocate said prosecution witnesses (PWs) Wahid Bux and Saroor Baig failed to establish their presence at the place of incident as on Saturday the Dawakhan was fixed for female.

The counsel said the complainant had also not mentioned the presence of the eyewitnesses (EWs) in the FIR. He quoted the SC judgement according to which such statement of EWs could never be relied upon for the purpose of conviction of the accused.

Sardar Ishaq, defending accused Amirullah, Zubair, Nadeem Mota, Faisal and Mukarab alias Nazir, further contended that of statement of Maula Bux, the witness of recovery of crime vehicle, was recorded one month after the incident and his statement and had contradiction. Maula Bux stated that the vehicle was spotted at 6:30am and police arrived on the spot at 7:00am while the IO had stated that police arrived at 10:00am and that memo of recovery was not prepared by the police. He further said that all the eyewitnesses had given false residential addresses thus losing their credibility. PW Sarwar Baig stated that after firing the culprits' vehicle moved toward Radio Pakistan which negated the other evidence.

Regarding approvers Haji Gull and Saeed Bhaiji, the counsel said only those co accused could be made approver, under the law, who were pardoned by all the legal heirs of the deceased while only Sadia Rashid had pardoned while Hakim's Said's brother had not granted such pardon to the approver. Even the statements of the approvers are exculpatory, (ie they did not assign any role to themselves), as such their statement could not be relied upon in a heinous crime like a triple murder. Approver Saeed Bhaiji had admitted in his statement that SP Tahir had given life threats to him and his family and he was tortured at CIA center and forced him to become approver.

The counsel pointed out that in the post mortem report the doctor had stated that the deceased received bullet injuries fired from a distance of three to five feet while the Ews deposed that the accused fired from a distance of 30 to 35 feet.

Earlier IA Hashmi for accused Abu Inam Pasha pointed out that there was neither any ocular evidence nor statement of PW nor judicial confession or identification parade, which connected his client with the offence in question. The only evidence against him was the 164 CrPC statement of accused Shakir Langra but the same was exculpatory and could not be made a base for conviction in absence of corroborative evidence. He also dilated on the definitions of abatement and conspiracy.

Six activists of Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Amirullah, Shakir Langra, Nadeem Mota, Asif Aizazul Hasan, Zubair and Abu Imran alias Pasha are facing trial in Hakim Said case while there are 19 others declared proclaimed offenders.

'Nadeem committed over 100 killings'

KARACHI: Nadeem alias Marble Wala, who was arrested by the Field Security Wing (FS-Wing) of Rangers, was stated to be involved in more than hundred killings, including his own sister, on the suspicion of being police informer. This was disclosed by suspect Nadeem who was produced before the newsmen at a press conference, addressed by Lieutenant Colonel Javed of Rangers at his offices on Friday.

Nadeem Marble Wala told newsmen that he had gunned down a number of army, rangers and police personnel in the last six years. The Sindh government had announced Rs one million as his head money. Col Javed said that Nadeem was arrested last night from Raza Square in Gulshan-e-Iqbal's Block 11.

Nadeem said that he had joined Muttahida six years ago and on the orders of party leadership, including Shoaib Bukhari, Wakil Ahmed Jamali, Anis Advocate and Ajmal Pahari, he had gunned down a number of people, besides acts of arson, carnage, and kidnapping. "Provision of arms and protection was the responsibility of the party. Shoaib Bukhari used to visit my place for giving instructions about committing killings," he added.

He also disclosed that he had been in South Africa for almost one year and returned to the country in August 1998, due to some family matters. Nadeem disclosed that more than 300 Muttahida activists were residing in the South Africa.

He disclosed that he had killed his sister in 1996 on suspicion of being police informer, besides murdering Head Constable Haziq Masood in Mominabad, nephew of a local PML leader Nawab Ali Sabri in 1995, Senior Clerk of IGP office Muhammad Saeed, and Lance Naik Abdul Haq of Army.

The Ranger's officials claimed that he had also gunned down four activists of Mohajir Qaumi Movement in Orangi, besides kidnapping and murdering two brothers -Kashif and Asif of MQM. The suspect was being interrogated for obtaining further disclosures.

Jobless youth commits suicide, 19 vehicles taken away
KARACHI, May 28: A jobless young man committed suicide in Malir on Friday, raising the total number of suicide cases to 14 so far in May in the city. Reports said Gulzar Ahmed, 19, had been looking for a job for the past several months after his father had retired. Gulzar, a matriculate, had two younger brothers and four sisters. He was the eldest son of Fazal Mohammad. He wanted to become a bread-winner for his family to share the burden of his father.

He became dejected with life after failing to get a job and in utter despondency, he hanged himself from the ceiling fan at his residence in Model Colony near Awami Hotel.

CARJACKING: As many as 19 vehicles, 11 cars and eight motorcycles, were either stolen or snatched in the city.

Carjackers took away two cars at gunpoint in the police limits of Jamshed Quarters (AB-9091) and Sharae Faisal (AAT-212).

Nine cars were stolen in the police areas of Aram Bagh (ACC-289), Saddar (AAJ-640), Ferozabad (N-3002), Tipu Sultan (AAK-598), North Nazimabad (ABS-756, CK-1626), North Karachi Industrial Area (L-2394, KB-5043), and Malir Cantt (ID-687).

Two motorcycles were snatched at gunpoint in the police limits of Gulshan-i -Iqbal (KAK-7021) and Samanabad (KAP-1750).

Six motorcycles were taken away in the police areas of Nabi Bux (KCV-4205), Artillery Maidan (KAQ-5869), Aziz Bhatti (KAS-7767), Korangi (SLE-3076), North Nazimabad (D-17811 rickshaw) and Orangi Extension (KCX-5944).

DIES IN CUSTODY: A suspect died in the custody of excise police on Thursday. The body was shifted to Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

Hospital sources said the body of the suspect, identified as Mohammed Ramzan alias Ranjha, 55, bore marks of torture.

Other sources, however, said the suspect was arrested by the excise police in Nia Abad, Lyari, for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

They said the excise police had arrested the suspect at about 1pm and booked him in a case (FIR No. 6/98). Later, in the afternoon his body was shifted to the hospital.

The sources alleged nothing had been recovered from the victim's possession but he was implicated in the case with the aim of extortion. When the victim refused to pay, he was allegedly subjected to severe torture.

SUICIDE ATTEMPT: A model girl, arrested on murder charges, was reported to have attempted to commit suicide in the lockup of a police station on Friday. The police denied the report.

Shazia alias Zoya Butt had been arrested by the Orangi Extension police in Lahore and brought to Karachi recently. She has been detained at Orangi Town police station where she attempted suicide by consuming a heavy dose of tranquillizers.

The Senior Superintendent of Police, district West, denied the reports about the suicide attempt by Zoya. He said though nine police officials, including the SHO Orangi Extension, were suspended for dereliction of duty, the disciplinary action against them had nothing to do with Zoya's case.

He categorically stated that Zoya did not register any complaint with him or any other higher authority. He added that Zoya was at present in the custody of women police who were interrogating her. An official of the district West police, who asked not to be named, also denied the reports. But he conceded that Zoya made complaints against the policemen that she had been harassed and mistreated by them. It was on her complaints that a disciplinary action was taken against nine police officials, he added.

He said the acting SHO Orangi Extension PS had been appointed as inquiry officer who would submit his report to the SSP West within 10 days.

He said the women police officials had taken over Zoya's custody at the same police station. Zoya Butt is facing charges for the murder of Ishtiaq Sehgal, a local car dealer.

Judges' posting, transfer
KARACHI, May 28: Nine district and sessions judges, who were awaiting posting, have been assigned the districts where they will head the courts.

S. Hasan Imam, until recently additional registrar of the High Court of Sindh (administration) and registrar of the Ehtesab Bench of the same court, after promotion as district and sessions judge has been posted at Mirpur Khas.

In place of Mr Imam, S. Jamil Raza Zaidi has been posted as additional registrar. He was previously holding the post of additional district and sessions judge, South.

Ali Ahmed Junejo has been posted at Thatta from the Small Causes Court, Karachi. Shamsuddin Hisbani has been transferred from Thatta to Badin. Abdul Rahman Shaikh has been asked to report to the high court. Zamirul Hasnain Lari has been transferred from Sukkur to Umerkot in place of Abdul Rahman Shaikh.

Khan Pervaiz Chand transferred to Dadu from district Karachi South; Riaz Ahmed Phulpoto transferred from Nawabshah to Shikarpur; and Ashfaq Baloch has been posted at Khairpur.

Guerrillas shoot down Indian helicopter in Kashmir
NEW DELHI, May 28: A Stinger missile brought down an Indian attack helicopter on Friday killing all four people on board, and guerrillas fighting Indian rule in occupied Kashmir claimed responsibility for the attack.

"We lost all four (crewmen)," Air Vice Marshal S.K. Malik told a briefing in New Delhi. The Indian authorities added that the Mi-17 helicopter had been brought down by a Stinger near the Line of Control (LoC) in occupied Kashmir.

"A Mi-17 helicopter which was participating in the morning operations came under fire north of Drass, 6-7 kms (3.75-4.4 miles) inside the Line of Control," an Indian defence ministry official said earlier.

An alliance of anti-India guerrilla groups said: "We accept the responsibility for this. We shot down the Indian helicopter today."

Major General J.J. Singh, additional director general of operations, estimated that more than 200 of the militants had been killed and 300-400 others had been choked off by the Indian army.

A defence official said two children of an army colonel and two soldiers died in the blast and six army men were wounded.

In Srinagar the main group banding guerrilla organisations led a protest strike against the air strikes, which closed shops, businesses, schools and colleges.

In New Delhi, about 25 activists of the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena party staged a demonstration outside the Pakistani High Commission (embassy).

Nearby, a group of opposition Congress party workers burnt an effigy of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

A senior Indian defence official confirmed Pakistan had captured the pilot of one of two combat jets lost on Thursday.

India said there had been no violation of the Line of Control.-Reuters

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© JANG Group, 1999

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