KARACHI:An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday directed the Investigation Officer (IO) to submit a challan in the case pertaining to the 12 May 2007 massacre as the IO, at the start of the hearing, pleaded the court to grant him time to file challan in the cases.
The ATC judge heard 10 cases pertaining to the 12 May 2007 carnage, while the all co-accused, nominated in the case, also appeared before the court and the court approving the IO’s request ordered him to present the challan of the cases in next hearing and adjourned the proceedings till June 26.
However, the counsel of Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar told the court that being mayor of city, Akhtar could not appear in every hearing, but whenever the court will summon, mayor Karachi would appear before it. Mayor Karachi and others have already been inducted in four cases of 12 May. The court has already declared 18 accused as absconding offenders in case.
In September last, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had ordered reopening the cases regarding the May 12, 2007 mayhem.
The verdict came on a plea to reopen the 65 cases which had been declared A Class (proceedings in the case stopped with the approval of the court).
On May 12, 2007, at least 50 people were killed and over 100 wounded in attacks on rallies of different political parties and the legal fraternity, who had attempted to receive the then-deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at the Karachi airport ahead of a lawyers’ gathering.
Justice Chaudhry was forced to fly back to Islamabad after nine hours of being restricted to the airport.