KARACHI, April 23: An additional district and sessions court, south, on Wednesday acquitted a former provincial minister, Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, and others in a double murder case as the prosecution failed to produce any solid evidence in court to prove the involvement of the accused in the crime.

Judge Mohammad Azeem earlier recorded arguments from both sides on an acquittal plea moved by the defence counsel under Section 265-K (power of the court to acquit an accused at any stage) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Observing that the prosecution failed to prove the involvement of Imtiaz Shaikh, Agha Asghar Ali and Ateeq Ahmed Siddiqui in the case, the judge acquitted them.

According to the prosecution, the complainant, Zafar Iqbal, Mohammad Rafiq, Yasir Mehmood and Mohammad Saleem were travelling in a car (ABQ-571) when some armed men intercepted them near Korangi Crossing and opened fire on the vehicle on March 31, 2005. The complainant and his three associates, who came under attack, were later rushed to hospital. However, Mohammad Rafiq and Mohammad Saleem succumbed to their wounds during treatment.

A case (FIR No 84/2005) was later registered under Sections 302, 324 and 104/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Defence police station on the complaint of Zafar Iqbal, who alleged that he and his friends had been attacked at the behest of Imtiaz Shaikh and Agha Asghar Ali.

The co-accused, Pervez, Zafar Ali, Zafarullah and Majeed Sindhi, were declared absconders in the case, while Nasir Mehmood, Imran Raza, Mohammad Zakir, Saleem Awan and Imran got bail from the court.

Illegal immigration

The additional district and sessions judge, south, Irfan Hussain, sentenced a Bangladeshi national to three years in jail for residing illegally in Pakistan.