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Hearing of Murtaza case put off till 31st

KARACHI: The hearing of murder case of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Ashique Hussain Jatoi and six other workers and supporters of PPP (Shaheed Bhutto group) against Senator Asif Ali Zardari and others was put off till January 31 by Mrs Yasmin Abbasi, Judge, Small Causes Court.

When the case was called Ashraf Qazi Advocate, counsel for Wajid Ali Durrani, former SSP South and an accused in the case submitted that his client has proceeded to Lahore to offer fateha for his deceased mother who passed away during his detention in the jail. As the accused has been granted permission for the same by the trial court, the matter was adjourned.

Meanwhile the applications for confirmation of bails to all the accused including ASPs Rai Tahir, Shahid Hayat, SHOs Shabbir Qaimkhani, Agha Jamil and other 11 policemen is fixed for hearing on January 27.

The other accused are former DIG Karachi Dr Shoaib Suddle, former DG Intelligence Bureau Masood Sharif, former SP Investigation Clifton Shakib Qureshi and former SHO Khokharapar Zeeshan Kazmi and Syed Abdullah Shah, former Sindh chief minister are absconding in the case.

The case pertains to killing of Mir Murtaza Bhutto and seven other in an alleged shootout with police on September 20, 1996, a few paces away from 70-Clifton, residence of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, the then sitting MPA in Sindh provincial assembly. APP