In a significant development nearly six years after the tragic murder of former Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA Ali Raza Abidi, an antiterrorism court (ATC) has handed down life imprisonment sentences to four individuals associated with a gang operating in Lyari.
The verdict, delivered by ATC-XV judge, found Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Ghazali, Abu Bakar, and Abdul Haseeb guilty of facilitating, aiding, and abetting the absconding accused in Abidi’s killing in 2018.
The trial, conducted within the premises of the central prison, concluded with the sentencing of the four convicted individuals. Haseeb, who appeared in court on bail, was taken into custody following the pronouncement of the verdict.
The court imposed life imprisonment on the four convicts for abetment as well as under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with a fine of Rs200,000 each. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one-year imprisonment for the convicts.
The case of the absconding accused Bilal, Hasnain, Ghulam Mustafa alias Kali Charan, and Faizan has been placed on a dormant file, with proceedings to be initiated upon their arrest. These individuals have already been declared proclaimed offenders.
In its verdict, the court emphasised the dual purpose of punishment: deterrence and reformation. It stated that the severity of the punishment serves as a deterrent to potential offenders while also contributing to societal reform.
During the trial, state prosecutor Ghulam Abbas Dalwani presented evidence indicating that the four accused facilitated the murder by conducting reconnaissance of Abidi and aiding their accomplices in carrying out the attack.
Defense counsel Abid Zaman argued for the acquittal of the accused, citing the absence of confessional statements recorded by the investigation officer. However, the court rejected this plea, affirming the involvement of all accused in the commission of the murder.
Ali Raza Abidi, aged 46, was fatally shot by armed motorcyclists outside his residence in Defence Housing Authority on December 25, 2018. Following the incident, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested Farooq, who disclosed crucial information leading to the apprehension of the other accused individuals.
The prosecution revealed that the accused attempted to destroy evidence by torching a motorcycle used in the crime in a Lyari locality.
Accused Haseeb disclosed during interrogation that he received Rs800,000 from an unknown individual in exchange for carrying out the murder, which he handed over to Ghulam Mustafa.
The case, registered at the Gizri police station, was initiated on the complaint of the victim’s father, Akhlaq Hussain Abidi, who has since passed away.