KARACHI, Feb 10 Two top leaders of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, better known as the MQM-Haqiqi, testified on Wednesday before a sessions court hearing a 1992 murder case and said they were implicated in it to settle political scores.

The two jailed leaders, Afaq Ahmed and Aamir Khan, who now head their own factions of the MQM-H, have been charged with the murder of an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Mohammad Farooq, in Landhi on June 19, 1992.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (east) Obaid Ahmed Khan recorded the statements of the accused. The trial was being held inside the Central Prison Karachi in the judicial complex owing to security reasons.

In his statement, Afaq Ahmed submitted that he was innocent and not involved in the case and the police implicated him at the behest of his political rivals.

He said there was no evidence linking him with the commissioning of the alleged crime.

He said he was not present in the area at the time of the incident that occurred on June 19, 1992 within the remit of the Landhi police station and the prosecution also failed to prove his presence. He said he reached the area in the evening with thousands of workers where he came to know of the murder.

He maintained that the case was instituted against him due to political reasons and he had nothing to do with the murder.

Aamir Khan submitted in his statement that the charges against him were baseless and politically motivated and he was innocent.

He informed the court that he was nominated in a dacoity case that occurred within the remit of the Liaquatabad police station on the same date and at the same time when victim Farooq was murdered in the remit of the Landhi police station. This showed that all the charges were concocted as it was not possible that a man committed two crimes at two different places at same time.

While pleading innocence, he said the case was nothing but part of political victimisation.

After recording the statements of the accused, the court adjourned the hearing till Feb 24 for final arguments.

According to the prosecution, Afaq Ahmed and Aamir Khan with their associates had allegedly kidnapped four workers of the rival Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Mohammed Farooq, Mohammad Tahir, Salman and M. Anwar - and killed one of them on June 19, 1992 within the remit of the Landhi police station.

The police registered a case (FIR 102/92) under Sections 147, 148, 149, 324, 364, 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Ismail Qureshi at the Landhi police station.

Illicit weapons case

The same court also recorded the statement of Afaq Ahmed in a case registered against him under Section 13-E of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance and Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substance Act.

Mr Ahmed submitted that he did not know the man on whose statement he was implicated in the present case. He said he was in prison when the case was registered against him.He said the case was registered on May 4, 2004 and he was arrested on April 2, 2004. He submitted that he was framed in the case for political reasons.

The court adjourned the hearing till Feb 24.

Afaq Ahmed was represented by Advocate Sohail Anjum.

According to the prosecution, two men, who were arrested under Section 13-D of the Arms Ordinance, when interrogated, stated that Afaq Ahmed had called them in Defence and allegedly gave them arms and explosive material, directing them to store the same in a Landhi locality.

The police registered a case against Mr Ahmed under Section 13-E of the Arms Ordinance and Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substance Act.