An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi on Saturday indicted city mayor Waseem Akhtar and others in two more cases pertaining to the May 12, 2007 riots.
Of the total accused in the cases, 21, including Akhtar, appeared before the court today to be indicted. All 21 pleaded 'not guilty' to the charges, which include clauses related to attempted murder, creating unrest and spreading terror.
Fifteen others nominated in the cases had already been declared absconders by the court.
The court ordered the witnesses to be summoned in the case's next hearing.
Read: Memories of May 12
It is pertinent to mention here that the ATC had already indicted Akhtar and the other accused this year in two separate cases pertaining to the May 12 carnage.
Around 50 people were killed and over 100 wounded in attacks on rallies by 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 on May 12, 2007.
Chaudhry was forced to fly back to Islamabad after nine hours of being restricted to the airport.
Akhtar was the provincial home adviser to the chief minister at the time.
