KARACHl: An antiterrorism court sentenced on Tuesday a man to a collective sentence of 19 years in explosives and illicit weapons cases.

Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan was found guilty of carrying explosive material and an unlicensed pistol in a Nazimabad locality last year.

The ATC-l judge sentenced him to 14-year imprisonment in the explosives case and five years for keeping illicit weapon.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs20,000 and in case of default the convict would undergo an additional six-month imprisonment. However, both sentences would run concurrently.

The cases were registered under Sections 4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 and 23(1)(a) of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013 read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Nazimabad police station.

Witnesses say they never saw Saleem Shahzad Two prosecution witnesses remained unable to identify on Tuesday before a sessions court former Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Saleem Shahzad as an accused in a 20-year-old case pertaining to rioting and arson attacks.

The former MQM leader, along with his accomplices, has been charged with torching a house of complainant Batool Begum in a Landhi locality in 1997.

Two brothers of the complainant turned up before an additional district and sessions court (East) and recorded their evidence.

However, they did not name him as the accused and deposed thatthey had never seen the accused before.

The court adjourned the hearing till June 10 for evidence of remaining witnesses.