KARACHI: A Rangers official deposed before an antiterrorism court that a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered on a lead provided by chief of outlawed Peoples Amn Committee (PAC) Uzair Baloch in 2016.

The alleged Lyari kingpin has been booked and arrested in a case pertaining to recovery of arms, ammunitions and explosives. He has been facing trials in over 40 cases pertaining to murder, kidnappings, extortion, etc.

The ATC-VII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, took up the matter for recording the testimony of a prosecution witness.

During cross-examination, DSR Khan fails to show any document that authorised him to interrogate accused

The witness, Deputy Superintendent of Rangers (DSR) Jahanzeb Khan, deposed that he was posted as an inspector on April 26, 2016 at the 61 Wing, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Rangers, at the Meetha Ram Hostel, where Uzair Baloch was kept in preventive detention for 90 days on the order of a court under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

He deposed that during interrogation Uzair disclosed to have concealed weapons, ammunitions and explosives at the corner of Heera Kheem Sindh Road, opposite Water Tank Chowrangi within the remit of the Nabi Bux police station.

He confirmed that said articles were concealed by him, which he could voluntarily produce, DSR Khan deposed, adding that one light machine-gun, three rockets and one launcher, six Avon bombs and one grenade were recovered on his pointation.

He added that the accused failed to produce licenses or other lawful documents.

The Rangers official also identified Uzair Baloch in the courtroom as the same accused.

However, the DSR disclosed that all the recovered case properties were kept in the malkhana at the City Courts, which had been burnt during an explosion, and such proceedings were on record of the file.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Abid Zaman, the witness admitted that his statement to police under Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code did not indicate the date and time when he had interrogated Uzair at the Meetha Ram hostel.

He further deposed that he did not exactly know the date of confinement/remand (preventive detention) of Uzair at the detention facility.

He conceded that he did not produce any order, directives or slip showing his “authorisation to interrogate” the chief of proscribed PAC.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2022