KARACHI: NOC for April 10 function was void: TPO deposes before Nishtar Park tribunal
By Shujaat Ali Khan
KARACHI, June 7: The permission given to a television channel to hold a night-long naatia mushaira at Nishtar Park between April 10 and 11 by the deputy inspector-general (operations) was not in accordance with law, the Jamshed Town police officer told the tribunal investigating the April 11 blast on Wednesday.
Asked by Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi why he allowed an unlawful function to proceed, the TPO, Captain (retired) Mohammad Tahir Naveed, who was described as ‘star witness’ by Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan, said he told the organizers not to erect a stage and make other preparations and also talked to Haji Abdur Rauf of ARY-QTV. However, he was informed that permission had been granted by the DIG. When the tribunal pointed out that the permission was given on April 7, he said it might have been received in his office but was not seen by him. The tribunal pointed out that a no-objection certificate or permission should have been issued by the city district government, which owned the Nishtar Park.
The TPO’s testimony would continue on Thursday. The AAG told the tribunal that Altaf Husain Qadri, the complainant in the case and nephew of Jamaat Ahle Sunnat chief Shah Turabul Haq Qadri, had refused to appear unless summoned by it. Justice Jafferi asked the law officer to move an application in this behalf. He told Advocate Javed Ahmad Chhatari, counsel for Shah Sirajul Haq Qadri of the Pakistan Sunni Movement, that copies of depositions before the tribunal would be provided to them for cross-examination besides being made available on the SHC website. Any party was welcome to join the proceedings at any stage, the judge added.
The movie of the main procession shot by an assistant sub-inspector of the Soldier Bazzar police station would also be screened in the courtroom. TPO Tahir Naveed said the ASI knew how to make a movie and it was ‘well prepared’. Earlier, he recounted the steps taken to ensure peace during Eid Miladun Nabi. The first meeting of all the stakeholders, including union council nazims, sectarian organizations, Rangers and intelligence units, was held on April 2. All the participants assured their full co-operation in maintaining peace. A contingency plan was drawn up and sent to the DIG (operations). The provincial police officer’s instructions were received on April 10 and were given full effect.
Four major processions, the TPO said, entered Jamshed Town from various areas of the city on April 11. Three terminated at Nishtar Park whereas the fourth went on to Kharadar. The main procession led by Shah Turabul Haq Qadri entered the town at about 6.35pm. One procession reached the Capri cinema at about 7.30pm, he insisted despite a reminder by the AAG that the blast occurred at 7.05pm and no procession could possibly have followed the occurrence.
He said he was present at the Nishtar Park control room in a third-floor flat of Fakhri Building on Bahadaryar Jung Road. He remained in a state of shock for a few minutes and then ordered ambulances already parked on the premises as per contingency plan to evacuate the casualties. Because of the violent reaction of the enraged mob, he went to the police station to change into mufti and returned at about 8pm. All steps were taken to collect and preserve whatever evidentiary material could be found in the park. A team of investigators arrived soon afterward. An FIR was registered at 1.45am on the complaint of Altaf Qadri. The TPO presented a site plan to the tribunal.
Earlier, TPOs Javed Mehr of Site Town, Lateef Siddiqui of Liaquatabad Town, Shahnawaz Khan of Gadap Town, Qasim Khan Ghori of Landhi Town, Abdul Hafeez Junejo of New Karachi Mohammad Rasheed Khan of Orangi Town, Abdul Rasheed Butt of Keamari Town, Farooq Sher Zaman of North Nazimabad Town, Asif Ejaz Shaikh of Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, Shah Jahan Khan of Korangi Town and Altaf Husain Leghari of Malir recorded their statements and were examined by the tribunal.
The TPOs deposed that the provincial police officer’s instructions were received by them on April 10 or 11. They had all prepared their contingency plans in the last week of March or the first week of April. There was no material difference between the plans and the instructions. All processions were peaceful and no armed participant was caught and no untoward incident occurred anywhere. The police were neither equipped with CCTV apparatus nor trained to operate it, they said.
