KARACHI: The administrative judge of antiterrorism courts reman­ded on Tuesday a woman to prison in explosives and illicit weapons cases.

Sana alias Sumaira alias Sumaira Commando has been booked for allegedly carrying a hand grenade and a pistol at the time of her arrest in a Lyari locality.

Police submitted that the cases were lodged against the woman on the complaint of an inspector of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh and contended that she was allegedly providing weapons to the accomplices of detained Uzair Jan Baloch, alleged leader of one of the several criminal gangs operating in Lyari.

The investigating officer produced the woman before the administrative judge for remand and the court sent her to prison on judicial remand till April 28, directing the IO to file investigation reports at the next hearing.

The police said in the remand papers that the woman was arrested on April 9 in Baghdadi area and two cases were lodged against her under Section 4/5 of Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and Section 23-(1)(a) of Sindh Arms Act, 2013 read with Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on the complaint of inspector Mumtaz Ahmed of Rangers at the Baghdadi police station.

Suspected hitman remanded in another case

The same court remanded on Tuesday a suspected hitman in police custody in another case.

Police claimed to have arrested Raisuddin alias Mamma on March 26 and obtained his remand in explosives and illicit weapons cases, adding that he was affiliated with the MQM Altaf group and was a notorious target killer involved in several high-profile cases.

Later, police had also obtained his remand in five more cases pertaining to the murder of police officials and arson attacks. Police produced him before the administrative judge in another case on Tuesday for allegedly making an attempt on the lives of policemen in Korangi Industrial Area in 2014. The court granted his physical remand till April 15.

Meanwhile, some witnesses also picked out Raisuddin in two more cases before a judicial magistrate (East) during identification parades.

The witnesses had also rightly picked him out among the dummies in three other cases on Monday.

Dr Asim allowed to travel abroad

An antiterrorism court allowed on Tuesday former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Dr Asim, a close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, along with some other politicians has been charged with allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terrorists, political militants and gangsters at his hospital.

After obtaining permission to travel abroad for a follow-up check-up from an accountability court, where two corruption references are pending against him, the former minister through his lawyer moved an identical application before the ATC-II.

The court allowed Dr Asim to visit abroad from April 10 to April 18 for the purpose of treatment after furnishing a surety bond of Rs2 million.

SCBA statement

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in a statement, issued by its vice president, said that the Karachi Bar Association in its resolution, passed on April 7, said that Barrister Ali Zafar appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of SCBA in a case filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. It added that Barrister Zafar was neither authorised nor appeared on behalf of the SCBA.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2018