Murtaza Bhutto

RECORDING OF EVIDENCE IN MURTAZA CASE
COMPLETED
KARACHI, March 17, 1997: The evidence recorded by the three-member
tribunal headed by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid in the Murtaza Bhutto murder
case runs into 13 bound volumes, spread over about 2,600 pages. This was
stated here on Monday by the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Zahid, who
added that the tribunal's work has come to an end and that no more
witnesses are to be examined. He said during the last nearly five months 135
witnesses had been examined in the alleged killing of Mir Murtaza. Seven
others had also lost their lives in the shooting. The tribunal started the
hearing on Oct 22 last. Meanwhile, the government of Sindh has extended the
period of the tribunal for submission of the report by another month and it
has been allowed time up to April 16. On Wednesday, the tribunal will
resume its hearing at 11:30 am when arguments from counsel will be heard. It
will begin with the counsel representing the government of Sindh, Akhtar Ali
G. Kazi, who is assisting the tribunal. He was initially not ready to begin his
argument as he had only lately been engaged by the government and wanted
time to study all the evidence placed before the tribunal. Mr Kazi was asked
by tribunal member Justice Dr Ghous Mohammad to "at least make a
beginning" and then proceed and it would not be difficult for him to pick up
the threads. He would be assisted by Ansari Abdul Latif, assistant advocate
general, who had been regularly attending the hearings from the beginning.
On Monday, the last day for the examination of witnesses, the tribunal
examined assistant inspector general of police, Crimes branch, Ali Gohar
Mithiani, the current investigator of the case on limited questions. On a
question from Khwaja Sharful Islam, counsel for the former SSP (South),
Wajid Ali Durrani, who is now an accused in the case, Mr Mithiani said he
was not aware that even now licensed arms holders were not allowed to take
out their weapons in public without an NOC from the home secretary. To
another question about his assignment before taking over as investigation
officer in this case, he said he was SSP (CIA) and before that he was SP,
Traffic, Central district. Answering another question from Mr Islam, Mr
Mithiani said the final challan had not been submitted in the case and he had
recommended for only one challan on the basis of the last FIR registered by
the police. The other two registered earlier would no longer be valid, he
added. The earlier two FIRs were registered by inspector Haq Nawaz Sial, the
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