October 9, 2003	Thursday	Sha’aban 12, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Oct 8: In a late night move, the Golra police lodged a formal FIR of the killing of Maulana Azam Tariq on Wednesday, sources said.

“Close aides of the late religious leader contacted the Islamabad police on Wednesday night to lodge a formal FIR,” a senior police official said.

SSP Islamabad also confirmed that some people, who were said to be the close aides of the late Maulana, visited the Golra police station to lodge an FIR.

Our Staff Reporter from ISLAMABAD adds: Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Wednesday appointed Commandant National Police Academy Abdul Qadir Hayee as inquiry officer to prepare a report about law and order situation that occurred in the capital after funeral prayers of Maulana Azam Tariq and his four aides on Tuesday.

Talking to Dawn, the minister said he had taken a strong note of the negligence of police and officials of the Islamabad capital territory administration which led to the mass- scale destruction of public property and loss of a life.

He said the inquiry officer would prepare the report within the next 24 hours and stern action would be taken against the officials responsible for law and order situation.

The minister said a separate committee formed to assess the losses of property would present its report on Friday. Under the light of the report, he added, compensations would be paid to the affected traders and the public.

He said Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali had also announced that compensation would be paid to the affected people.

Guard missing: One of Maulana Azam Tariq’s security guards, Arshad, is missing, his family and police sources confirmed.

Arshad was last spotted by his family along with the late Maulana in Sargodha.

His absence came to light when his uncle was contacted in Islamabad by his family to check if Arshad was among those killed in the Monday terrorist attack. However, Arshad was not among the victims.

His family in Jhang is sure that he was with the maulana performing security duty.

Meanwhile, police sources said that Maulana Tariq’s security guards were carrying weapons but could not get enough time to retaliate when attacked by the assailants.

Eyewitnesses said that the Pajero jeep driven by the assailants was without registration number.