Uzair Baloch acquitted in two more cases

KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi has acquitted Lyari gang warfare kingpin Uzair Baloch in two more cases over “lack of evidence” against him, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, Uzair Baloch – the chief of proscribed Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) – was exonerated of the charges of attempting to commit murder and planting explosive materials.

During the hearing today, Baloch’s lawyer Abid Zaman claimed that the allegations levelled against his client were based on ‘lies’. He noted that the cases were registered at Kharadar Police Station and Napier Police Station.

“There was no evidence to corroborate the charges against his client,” the lawyer said, adding that nor had the prosecution had any eyewitness in the court to testify or identify the accused. Hence, he pleaded with the court to acquit Baloch for lack of evidence.

After hearing the arguments, the ATC ruled that it had failed to find any concrete evidence that linked Baloch with the charges and thus acquitted him in two more cases. His co-accused Shahid, also known as MC has also been acquitted by the court.

Earlier in November, Uzair Baloch was arrested in another case of keeping explosives, police encounter and attempt to murder.

The case was registered in year 2012 in Kalakot police station. Only accused arrested in the case, Ghaffar alias Mama, was acquitted in 2015.

Uzair Baloch and other accused were declared absconders in the case and the case file was closed. During hearing today in the anti-terrorism court, the lawyers were provided copies of the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that Baloch has been acquitted by courts in 35 cases registered against him at various police stations in the city.

Uzair, is the main character of the gang war in Lyari and some other parts of Karachi in previous decade. He was facing over 70 cases of crimes and acquitted in 35 of them by courts, mostly owing to the failure of the prosecution to bring effective evidence against him.