KARACHI: A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday has indicted Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar in a case related to violence and carnage which had taken place on May 12, 2007.
The court also heard four more cases in relation to the carnage in which many others were also indicted, however, all in accused along with the Mayor Karachi denied the charges pertaining to the case.
A committee was also constituted by the Sindh High Court (SHC) for investigating into the violence and is headed by AIG Karachi Amir Sheikh.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) workers asked, “Were only MQM-P activists involved in killing in Karachi, and were other political workers without arms in that battlefield”?
Following that, the court ordered witnesses to appear in before the ATC. The hearing has been put off till October 27.
Waseem Akhtar, in an informal media talk after the hearing outside the court said that all the responsible for the May 12 carnage should be identified for further actions.
On May 12 2007, Shahra-e-Faisal, was turned in to slaying ground and a huge massacre after the clashes took place between political parties.
Some rival political groups started fighting with each other soon after the arrival of the then Chief Justice of Pakistan. In May 12 bloodshed at least 34 people were killed and over 140 others injured.
Due to the clash, the former chief justice could not move ahead from the lounge of the airport and returned to Islamabad without addressing a lawyers’ convention at SHC.
The thoroughfare was to be used by the procession of the then chief justice but was made completely out-of-the-way to commuters as all the intersections were blocked by large containers and trucks.
The failure of the Sindh government and the law-enforcers to maintain law and order made the city hostage to political workers. Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Home Affairs Waseem Akhtar blamed the chief justice for a breakdown in law and order and deaths.
Journalists had also staged a sit-in at the airport against manhandling of newsmen and camerapersons at various disturbed spots by rivals from political parties.