ATC records statements of four MQM men in Zahra Shahid murder case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday recorded the statements of four men standing trial over charges of murdering senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zahra Shahid.

The ATC judge is conducting the trial within the Central Prison premises on a daily basis. Rashid alias Tailor Master, Zahid Abbas Zaidi, Irfan alias Lamba and Kaleem, all workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, are charged with murdering the PTI leader.

On Thursday, the court announced that it would hear the final arguments on behalf of the prosecution. The driver of the deceased leader is among the prosecution witness. The court had earlier heard a magistrate who conducted the identification parade. The magistrate confirmed that at the identification parade, the witnesses had identified the suspected killers.

Hussain was shot dead on May 18, 2013, outside her residence in the Defence Housing Authority’s Phase IV, hours before controversial re-elections in National Assembly constituency NA-250. The gruesome murder had sparked unrest in political circles of the country as PTI leader Imran Khan had accused the MQM of the murder.

In a video recorded after his arrest, Rashid confessed that they had been following Zahra’s car, and as soon as the car reached her residence in DHA Phase IV, Zaidi opened fire at her and killed her on May 18, 2013. He said they only came to know that Shahid was a leader of the PTI after they had killed her. He said that Asif alias Ganja, Zahid, Junaid and Tariq were his accomplices in the murder.