Sindh Home Department has ordered the jail trial of Jundullah activist Qasim Tori in the corps commander’s convoy attack and other terrorism cases, Jail Superintendent told the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday.

The ATC headed by Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon, while hearing corps commander’s trial case against Qaim Tori, had issued show cause notice to Jail Superintendent for explanation regarding his failure to produce the under trial prisoner (UTP) before the court.

Jail Superintendent appeared before the court and submitted that the notification of the jail trial of the UTP has been issued by the Home Department for security reasons. The court adjourned the hearing of the trial and fixed April 24 for next hearing.

Qasim Tori, who was earlier declared proclaimed offender in corps commander’s convoy attack case in Clifton, is now being tried in the said case.

According to the prosecution, Tori along with others attacked on a motorcade of the then Corps Commander of Karachi Lt-Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat in the Clifton area on June 10, 2004, resulting in the killing of 10 people including six army personnel and three policemen and injuring 10 others.

The Anti-Terrorism Court in February 2006 handed down death sentence to 11 activists of the banned Jundullah having found them guilty in corps commander’s convoy attack case. Their appeals against conviction were however pending in the Sindh High Court.

kidnapping and killing trial: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday issued notices to officials of two mobile phone companies as court witnesses in a kidnapping and killing trial.

The ATC was hearing the trial against M Sohail, 21, and Ms Zainab, 21, who were charged with kidnapping and killing Mohammad Naveed on September 3, 2006.

The court witnesses will be examined regarding the telephonic conversion between the kidnappers and the family members of the abductee. According to the prosecution, the accused kidnapped the abductee from the City Court and demanded Rs8 million as ransom from his family members for his release. Police said the accused killed the abductee on failure in receiving the ransom and threw his body in Malir area.