950806

PECHS carnage case

Court asks accused

to ensure presence

of representatives

KARACHI: Special Court (III) for suppression of terrorist activities Karachi headed by Rafiq Ahmed Awan while taking serious exception of absence of Defence Counsel warned the accused of PECHS carnage case to ensure the presence of their representative Counsel, otherwise he will appoint a State Counsel to defend them.

The court waited for M Ashraf Kazi and Rafiq Khanzdar, two of the Defence Counsel till 1.00 p.m., but neither of them came to court to proceed the case.

The learned judge asked the accused that their counsels were avoiding attending court, therefore they must compel them to attend court and proceed the case, otherwise he will depute a State Counsel to proceed their case.

The accused Mansoor Ali Babar, Umer Hayyat, Muhammad Fazil, Karimullah Sharif, Saghir Muhammad, Saghir Ahmed, Ishtiaq Ali, Hafiz Ahmed Bux, Khawaja Salimuddin and Ahmed Zahoor are being tried under sections 302,307,396,109 and 34 of PPC for allegedly killing seven persons in PECHS Karachi on March 2, 1995.-PPI