KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday acquitted three men associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in three identical cases relatedto the May 12, 2007 carnage for lack of evidence.

At least 45 people were killed and dozens wounded when the MQM held a rally on the day the then deposed chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, landed at the Karachi airport to address the Karachi Bar Association on May 12, 2007.

Three men Mirza Naseeb Baig, Umair Hussain and Raeesud-din, aka Mama were charged in three identical cases registered at the Ferozabad and Airport police stations for rioting and attacking buses carrying people to a rally in support of the then chief justice near Malir Halt, Baloch Colony and FTC on May 12.After hearing arguments and examining the record, the ATC-V judge, who conducted the trial at the Judicial Complex inside Central Prison, acquitted the three MQM-P workers as the prosecution failed to establish its case against them.

At the hearing, Umair appeared on bail, while the other two accused, Mirza and Raees, were produced from jail.

The court directed the jail authorities to release them if they were not required in any other case.

Speaking to Dawn, defence counsel Mushtaque Ahmed said Mirza and Raees would remain in jail as cases against them were still pending in court.

He said he had argued beforethe court that the accused were innocent and had been falsely implicated in the cases by law enforcement agencies with mala fide intentions.

He further contended that Raees was initially arrested at the Karachi airport and implicated in the cases at the behest of high-ups due to his `political affiliation`.

He added that Umair was apprehended by the Rangers during an `operation against the MQM` and kept in their custody for 90 days before being handed over to the police, who subsequently booked him in other cases.

The counselargued that the police had only one piece of evidence against the accusedpersons, which was the statement recorded in custody of the co-accused, which he argued was inadmissible before the court.

Three separate cases were registered at the Airport and the Ferozabad police stations under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempt to murder), 302 (premeditated murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.