Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Police Abdul Hameed, a Prosecution Witness (PW) was declared hostile by District and Sessions Judge, East, Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani on Saturday on the request of Special Public Prosecutor, M.Ilyas Khan.
During Examination In-chief, conducted by SPP. PW Abdul Hameed resiled from his earlier statement before investigating officer that the then ASP Rai Tahir and accused of firing fatal shots at Mir Murtaza Bhutto, handed him a written FIR which was then incorporated in FIR book (Roznamcha) on 23-9-1996, three days after the incident.
SPP at this stage requested the court to declare him hostile and allow cross-examination of the witness turned hostile.
During cross-examination, ASI Abdul Hameed admitted that it was ASP Rai Tahir, presently SSP had given him the written FIR and that his earlier statement was false in which he deposed before this court that FIR was given to him by Asghar Ali, a domestic servant of deceased/victim Mir Murtaza Bhutto.
ASI Abdul Hameed also admitted that accused Rai Tahir took Asghar Ali to the office of the then Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah (absconding accused in the case).
The prosecution also examined a KESC employee posted in the area who deposed before the court that street lights on road leading to 70 Clifton, residence of deceased Mir Murtaza Bhutto were in working condition. He acceded to a suggestion by SPP that lights might have been turned off by the accused.
The court later put of further proceedings till September 11, 2004. The case pertains to murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, a sitting MPA of Sindh Assembly, Ashqiue Hussain Jatoi, Vice President of PPP (Shaheed Bhutto group) and six other supporters and workers of the party. The victims were allegedly gunned down in a shoot out with Karachi police on 20-9-1996 a few yards away from 70 Clifton.
Asif Ali Zardari, spouse of former Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto, then DG, Intelligence Bureau Masood Sharif, former DIG Karachi Dr Shoaib Suddle, former SSP Wajid Ali Durrani, SSP Rai Tahir, ADIG Shahid Hayat and 11 other police officials.
The accused are represented by Barrister Azizullah K Shaikh, Muhammad Ashraf Qazi, Adam Bin Jaffery, Amanullah Khan and others.