KARACHI, Nov 21: A public prosecutor who is pleading several high-profile cases before anti-terrorism courts, including the journalist Wali Babar murder case before it was transferred to Shikarpur, was attacked by intruder(s) at his friend’s home in Defence Housing Authority in the early hours of Thursday, officials said.
They said the prosecutor, Abdul Maroof, had been facing threats to his life due to which he had to frequently change his residence. For the past three days, he had been staying at his friend’s place in DHA Phase II, said Mehmoodabad SDPO Tariq Mughal.
The police said an armed man was coming down from the balcony of the house when the prosecutor saw him. He immediately took out his licensed 9mm pistol and fired four shots at the intruder who managed to escape with the help of his ‘one or two’ accomplices, the SDPO said.
He said the police investigators visited the house and observed two bullet holes in the wall. They also spotted blood stains on the rooftop that indicated that the attacker was wounded. He said the attackers had also tried to cut the house’s grille.
The officer quoted the prosecutor as saying that after the murder of Advocate Naimat Randhawa, who had also been pleading the journalist murder case, he was feeling ‘insecure’ and tended to change his residence frequently.
The victim later lodged an FIR (455/2013) at the Defence police station under Sections 324 (attempted murder), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault etc.) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings at the ATCs remained suspended on Thursday in protest against the attempt on the life of the public prosecutor.