KARACHI: 2 Al Qaeda men indicted in diplomat killing case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 10: An anti-terrorism court indicted on Tuesday two activists of Al-Qaeda in the US diplomat killing case.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-5 fixed Wednesday for recording statements of the prosecution witnesses after the two defendants -- Usman Ghani and Anwar Ul Haq – denied the charges.
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 Marriott Hotel and the 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 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 the hotel.
The windowpanes of the hotel were shattered with splinters hitting several guests. The concrete wall of the naval establishment was damaged as was the rear portion of the hotel. 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 identity of suicide bomber in August.
According to the charge-sheet, an informer gave the information to the investigator officer that Mohammed Tahir son of Raja Afzal had left his Landhi house on March 2 after Fajr prayers and later his family was informed of his martyrdom. 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 for three times and he had also been imprisoned in Afghanistan.
He said his son did not return home since he left after Fajr prayers on March 2. The father of the suicide bomber told the IO that a lame man visited his house three times after the disappearance of his son and gave him Rs5,000, Rs8,000 and Rs10,000 during his three visits.
Raja Afzal also told the investigator that the same man contacted his another son, Idrees, who is a student at Binori Town seminary, in July to tell him that Tahir had been martyred.
On Aug 18, the investigation officer recorded the statement of Idrees, who also supported the statement of his father.
The brother of the suicide bomber told the IO that he knew one of his brother’s friends, Usman, who had brought his letter to the family from Afghanistan during his detention there. Later on Aug 21, the police arrested Usman Ghani and Anwar Ul Haq, the two suspected Al Qaeda activists, for masterminding the suicide car bombing to kill US diplomat.
