Three people, including MQM leader Aamir Khan, have been acquitted in a case of harboring suspected militants

Karachi anti-terrorism court has granted shelter to suspected militants at the sealed headquarters 'Nine Zero' after seven years due...

Karachi anti-terrorism court has granted shelter to suspected militants at the sealed headquarters 'Nine Zero' after seven years due to 'insufficient evidence' to senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan leader Amir Khan and two other leaders. Acquitted in the giving case.

 

MQM Pakistan leader Aamir Khan, former security in-charge Minhaj Qazi and Raees alias Mama were accused of harboring wanted suspects at the party's headquarters in Azizabad.

The anti-terrorism judge, who was hearing the case in the Judicial Complex inside the Karachi Central Jail, delivered the reserved judgment after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

Read also: MQM leader Aamir Khan bail granted

On this occasion, Aamir Khan appeared on bail while Raees Mama and Minhaj Qazi were produced before the court from jail.

The ATC judge observed that the prosecution had failed miserably to prove the charges against the three accused and therefore the accused were acquitted.

The judge canceled the bail of Aamir Khan and directed the jail authorities to release Raees Mama and Minhaj Qazi immediately if there was no need for his custody in any other case.

However, both the accused Raees Mama and Minhaj Qazi cannot be released as there are several other cases registered against them.

Read more: NATO weapons recovered from Nine Zero, Wali Babar killer arrested

During the trial, the prosecution cross-examined six witnesses, including two investigating officers in the case, Inspector Mohsin Zaidi and Inspector Rashid Hussain, complainant Rangers DSR Riaz and three policemen.

The suspects, along with several others, were detained by Rangers during a raid on and around the party headquarters on March 11, 2015.

Rangers Special Public Prosecutor Rana Khalid argued that the paramilitary force had arrested Aamir Khan and 26 others, including Faisal Mehmood alias Mota, who was sentenced to death in the Wali Babar murder case during the raid.

He said the MQM leader, along with five others, had allegedly sheltered the criminals he had been using for terrorist activities in the city.

Read also: Case registered against United Leader Aamir Khan

He added that a joint investigation team had recommended filing a case against MQM leader Khan.

Prosecutors further argued that there was enough evidence against Aamir Khan to prove that he had convicted Raees Mama, Qazi Minhaj and three fugitive accused Shehzad Mullah, Imran Ijaz Niazi and Naeem alias Mullah of crimes including terrorism. Have been giving instructions.

He had requested the judge to punish the accused severely according to the law.

On the other hand, the accused lawyer Shaukat Hayat maintained that at the time of his arrest, Aamir Khan was a member of the coordination committee of MQM, a registered political party of the country.

He further said that the party Nine Zero headquarters was for political activities and no criminal was given shelter there.

Read also: 90-day remand of 28 accused including Aamir Khan

He further added that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence, including an FIR, to prove that his clients had been issuing instructions for criminal proceedings.

Sanitation lawyer Mushtaq Ahmed stated that Raees Mama was detained on March 26, 2018 at Karachi Airport after being deported from Malaysia with the help of Interpol and was later remanded in Karachi Central Jail. Where he was arrested by the investigating officer in this case.

The counsel for the accused had argued that Minhaj Qazi was arrested in the present case in 2016, before which he was in custody in connection with the 1997 Shahid Hamid murder case.

Read also: Imran Farooq was killed on the orders of Altaf Hussain, the text of the court decision

The defense counsel had argued that the prosecution had failed to prove that Aamir Khan had ever issued any instructions to the two accused to commit terrorism or any other crime.

The lawyers of the accused had requested the court to acquit them of the false and fabricated charges leveled against them by the prosecution.

The court has already declared three fugitive accused Shehzad Mullah, Imran Ijaz Niazi and Naeem alias Mullah in the case.

Section 11V of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (Provisions for directing an act of terrorism) A case was registered against the accused on the complaint of a Rangers official in Azizabad.