Muttahida requests ATC to take notice

of surgeon's 'abduction' by police

By our correspondent

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has requested the ATC court hearing the four Americans murder case, to take immediate notice of alleged abduction of surgeon Dr Saeed-uz Zaman by the investigating police officer, besides recording the surgeon's statement before the court.

Deputy Convenor of MQM Coordination Committee and Senator Aftab Shaikh on Friday told reporters that ATC Judge Justice Ahmed Hussain Khoso had summoned the surgeon to record his statement before the court on July 22 in order to verify Ahmed Saeed' condition at the time of high-profile killing.

"Before the surgeon could appear in the ATC and give his statement, the investigation officer, DSP Nazimabad Chowdhary Aslam, abducted the surgeon. The DSP had previously threatened the surgeon of dire consequences, if he made any truthful statements in the ATC.

The hospital documents of the accused person showing him as a sufferer of post-operation symptoms at the time of the murder of four Americans, had been obtained from the hospital by Saeed's lawyers and this very fact had extremely disturbed the biased police officer," Shaikh claimed at a press conference held in MPA Hostel Azizabad.

According to Senator Shaikh, accused Ahmed Saeed was admitted in Nadeem Medical Centre on Nov 3, 1997. He was operated for appendicitis the next day by Dr Zaman and discharged from the hospital on Nov 8, 1997. The same surgeon again called him on Nov 12, 1997, in the evening for removing stitches.

"This was the day in the morning of which the four Americans were killed on the PIDC Bridge. According to medical opinion no person having undergone an appendix surgery and with stitches very much on the wound, could indulge in such a heinous task," Aftab Shaikh said.

He further alleged that Saeed-uz Zaman has been detained in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station and he is being mentally tortured and terrorised not to appear in the ATC.

Presenting all relevant medical documents of Ahmed Saeed to journalists, Aftab demanded that employees of Union Texas should also be brought for recording their statement in the court trying the accused.

Meanwhile, referring to the MQM leaders' statement, spokesmen for Karachi Police said that no body had stopped Dr Saeed from taking part in the court proceedings and record his statement. Police also denied any illegal action on its part.