KARACHI: Al Qaeda man declared proclaimed offender: Diplomat murder case
By Tahir Siddiqui
KARACHI, Oct 3: An anti-terrorism court declared on Tuesday an activist of Al Qaeda as proclaimed offender in the US diplomat killing case.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 ordered the proclamation of Mohammed Zafar alias Qari Zafar after the court was informed that efforts were made to track down the Al Qaeda activist, but in vain.
The judge also fixed Oct 10 for the formal indictment of two Al Qaeda activists -- Usman Ghani and Anwarul Haq – who were arrested on Aug 21 for masterminding suicide car bombing to kill US diplomat.
Four people were killed on March 2 when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the diplomat’s vehicle yards away from the US consulate-general.
The blast that took place in a narrow lane between the five-star Marriott Hotel and Naval Surgery Hospital also left 48 others wounded.
US Consulate official David Foy, his Pakistani driver Iftikhar and Lance Naik Zafar of Rangers were killed instantly.
The body of the suicide bomber, later identified as Mohammed Tahir, was also torn into pieces.
According to investigators, the explosive-laden car had been parked outside the naval establishment. When the convoy carrying the US official appeared, the bomber rammed his vehicle into the bullet-proof car. The five-door vehicle flew up into the air before landing across a concrete barrier on the pavement of Marriot.
The windowpanes of Marriott were shattered with splinters hitting several guests. The concrete wall of the naval establishment was partially damaged as was the rear portion of Marriott. At least 14 vehicles were also destroyed in the blast.
The investigation of the case was assigned to Inspector Tariq who got a tip-off about the identity of the suicide bomber in August.
According to the charge-sheet, an informer told the investigator officer that Mohammed Tahir son of Raja Afzal had left his Landhi house on March 2 after Fajr and later his family was informed of his martyrdom. The father of the suicide bomber told the IO that a man visited his house three times after the disappearance of his son and gave him Rs5,000, Rs8,000 and Rs10,000.
On Aug 15, the investigation officer visited the house of the suicide bomber and recorded the statement of his father.
Raja Afzal told the investigator that his son had gone to Afghanistan for Jihad thrice and he had also been imprisoned in Afghanistan.
