HYDERABAD, May 14: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge on Wednesday awarded better class (B-class) in Central Prison Hyderabad to former Sindh minister, Altaf Unnar, who had been in judicial custody since April 23.

Mr Unnar faces two criminal cases, an Arms Ordinance (13-D) case and a case lodged by Pakistan People’s Party MNA Dr Azra Pechuho, sister of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Athar Abbas, counsel for PML-Q leader, claimed that his client had been put in solitary confinement after he was remanded to judicial custody and claimed that prison administration had disallowed his meetings even with lawyers.

He contended that his client had been a former minister and an MPA in previous provincial government and was unaccustomed to such type of living.

He was a graduate and his family status required that he be allowed better class in the central jail. State counsel Riazat Ali Sehar opposed the argument.

Dr Azra lodged a case against Unnar accusing him of attempted murder. She approached the police after she was reportedly fired upon during by-elections for a provincial assembly seat but they had turned him away. They lodged the case after she moved the court of additional district and sessions judge Jamshoro.

She accused Unnar, Dr Sohrab Sarki, then Sindh inter-provincial coordination minister, PML district president Malik Changez and others of attacking her outside a polling station in Budhapur during by-elections for PS-71 on Feb 10 last year.

The 13-D case was lodged against Unnar following recovery of a Kalashnikov, the whereabouts of which the former minister had disclosed during interrogation, according to police.

The case was lodged on April 22 after the recovery of weapon from Unnarpur’s forest as per police statement. Budhapur police had arrested Unnar on April 15 in Larkana in connection with FIR No.3/08. Unnar’s counsel has also filed a bail application and an application, challenging jurisdiction of the Anti-Terrorism Court. He stated in the application that the ATC had no jurisdiction to hold the trial of the accused for offences mentioned in the FIR, therefore, the case should be transferred to an ordinary court.

The court fixed hearing of applications for May 19.