May 12, 2007 cases: Karachi mayor's absence angers ATC

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday expressed displeasure over Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar for failing to appear before it in four cases pertaining to the May 12, 2007 mayhem, ARY News reported.

As the ATC judge resumed hearing of the cases, more than 20 accused appeared in the court.

When the judge asked about the whereabouts of the mayor, his counsel submitted an application requesting an exemption for his client from today’s proceedings. He stated that his client couldn’t turn up owing to his ill health.

“What did happen to the Karachi mayor?” questioned the judge who then directed the counsel to present his medical report on the next hearing.

The hearing was adjourned till Feb 2.

On May 12, 2007, at least 50 people were killed and over 100 wounded in attacks on rallies of different political parties and the legal fraternity, who had attempted to receive the then deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at the Karachi airport ahead of a lawyers’ gathering.

Justice Chaudhry was forced to fly back to Islamabad after nine hours of being restricted to the airport.