20000331

Altaf, others

acquitted

in arson case

KARACHI: Additional District and Sessions Judge South Karachi, Farooq Ali Channa, on Thursday, acquitted chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, and other leaders, including Shoaib Bukhari, Ajmal Dehalvi and others, from charges of arson, pelting stones in the jurisdiction of Civil Line police station Karachi during strike call in 1996.

Civil Line police station submitted final challan against the accused under section 133, 324, 114 PPC before ADJ South Karachi. The case was pending before the court for last many years.

Shoaib Bukhari had filed acquittal application under section 265-K, which was heard by the court and reserved judgement some months back.

While announcing the judgement, the court acquitted all accused implicated in the FIR from the charges framed.

Meanwhile, Aram Bagh police Karachi today submitted copies of the statements of prosecution witnesses before ADJ South Karachi, Mohammad Sabir Cheepa, in the murder case of Mohammad Salahuddin, editor of "Takbeer".

The court will start proceedings of the case from April 10, 2000 in the premises of Central Prison Karachi.

Three activists of Muttahida Saleem Memon, Nadeem Motta and Saleem T. T. were accused in this case and police had produced them before the said court.

Another court of ADJ West Karachi, Nuzhat Ara Alvi awarded life term punishment to Mehmood, who murdered Irfan Ghani on a dispute of transactions.

The convict was awarded life imprisonment a fine of Rs. 50,000 and in default of payments, he would further go RI of six months. Mominabad police arrested Mehmood on June 14, 1996.ÑPPI