KARACHI: On Wednesday, a sessions court acquitted Uzair Baloch, the leader of the banned Peoples Amn Committee, and his associate, Gaffar Mama, in a 15-year-old case involving a police encounter and attempted murder due to insufficient evidence.
The additional district and sessions judge (South), who conducted the trial at the judicial complex within the central prison, determined that the prosecution failed to substantiate the charges against the accused.
The court cleared Baloch and Mama under Section 295-H(i) of the Criminal Procedure Code, instructing the prison authorities to release Baloch if he was not held for any other ongoing cases.
The case dates back to August 2009 when police received information about Abdul Rehman, also known as Rehman Dakait, and his group traveling in three cars. Police attempted to intercept the vehicles, leading to a confrontation where gunfire was exchanged. Rehman Dakait, Aurangzeb, Nazeer Baloch, and Aqeel Ahmed Baloch were killed in the shootout, while Uzair Baloch and his associates managed to escape.
The prosecution claimed that Aurangzeb, before his death, identified Baloch as one of the people in the fleeing vehicle.
However, the defense, represented by Safdar Hussain, argued that Aurangzeb, who was shot multiple times, could not have provided a coherent statement due to his severe injuries. The defense also highlighted inconsistencies between the time recorded in police statements and the time of death noted in the autopsy report.
A case was filed at the Steel Town police station under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including assault, attempted murder, and obstructing a public servant. Baloch, who faces numerous trials for murder, kidnapping, extortion, and encounters with law enforcement, has been acquitted in over twenty cases, primarily due to lack of evidence.
