KARACHI, Sept 7: An anti-terrorism court recorded on Thursday the statements of four domestic servants Sardar Akhtar Mengal in the army personnel hostage-taking case. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Sept 12 for the next hearing after the statements of Nasarullah Mengal, Ghulam Hyder Langah alias Chappar, Mehboob Ali Satti and Ghulam Qadir.

Sardar Akhter Mengal has been declared absconder by the court which also ordered the attachment of his entire moveable and immoveable properties.

Complainant Havildar Qurban Hussain of the Military Intelligence alleged that on April 5 he, along with his colleague Lance Naik Fayyaz Ahmed, was on duty at Khiyaban-i-Shamsheer, Saba Commercial Area, when the accused kidnapped them and made them hostage on April 5.

Akhtar Mengal, who is also Chief of Balochistan National Party (Mengal), and other unidentified persons were declared absconding co-accused in the charge-sheet.

It was alleged that Sardar Akhtar Mengal kidnapped the army personnel with intention to kill them when army personnel were going to their intelligence duty.

Complainant of the case, Qurban Hussain, submitted in his FIR that they were made hostage at the DHA residence of Sardar Akhtar Mengal for two hours and were subjected to torture.

The complainant alleged that around 7:55am Sardar Akhter Mengal came out of his bungalow and ordered his servants to take them inside the bungalow, where they were beaten up.

The servants also allegedly snatched their money, national identity cars and service cards. The police arrested the four servants on April 8. Ghulam Ali Shah appeared for the defendants, and special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum represented the state.

Released: Administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts in Karachi on Thursday released a man on bail in a kidnapping for ransom case as the police could not found sufficient evidence against him, adds PPI.

Nisar Ahmed, 35, with other absconding co-accused, is charged with kidnapping Ghulam Murtaza Lund for ransom on Nov 20, 2005, in Sachal area and later killing him on failure to receive ransom amount.

According to the police, the accused demanded Rs50 million for the release of abductee from his family which they could not pay.

Later, the body of the abductee was found in Bhit Shah area in Mithiari.