KARACHI: An anti-corruption court on Thursday reserved its order on the interim prearrest bail applications of former commerce minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim and a secretary of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a dozen of cases pertaining to a multibillion trade subsidy scam.

The former minister and the secretary of the former prime minister along with the then deputy secretary (personal) to PM secretariat, Mohammad Zubair, some former and serving senior officials of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and private persons were booked by the Federal Investigation Agency in 12 cases for their allegedinvolvementinapprovaland disbursement of fraudulent trade subsidies of billion of rupees to several falce companies through fictitious claims and bacl
Amin Fahim and Zubair were on interim pre-arrest bail and after hearing arguments from both sides, judge of special federal anticorruptioncourt-IMohammad Azeemreserved the orders on both applications for confirmation or otherwise till Dec 18.

Man jailed for life in murder case A man was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case on Thursday.

A sessions court found Mohammad Azeem guilty of killing Malik Sikandar Ali following a robbery in Saeedabad in November 2009.

Additional district and sessions judge (west) Shagufta Siddiqui pronounced the verdict after recording testimonies of witnesses and final arguments from both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs300,000 and in case of non-payment of the fine, the convict would have to undergo an additional oneyear imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, Azeem had snatched a motorcycle from Sikandar and the latter, carrying a licensed pistol, along with his brother chased him. Both sides exchanged fire near the KMC graveyard in Saeedabad that left Sikandar and an accomplice of Azeem, Shahid, dead, it added.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 392 (robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint of the father of the deceased at the Saeedabad police station.

Azeem was produced before the court in custody and while extending the benefit of 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of criminal procedure code, the judge remanded him back to prison along with the conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence.