KARACHI, Dec 7: An anti-terrorism court put off on Thursday hearing of the US diplomat killing case against two activists of the Al Qaeda after recording the deposition of four more prosecution witnesses.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who is conducting the trial inside Central Prison, fixed December 9 for the next hearing after recording the statements of three medico-legal officers--Dr Karrar Hussain, Dr Farhat and Dr Zeashan – and ASI Muneer Masih.
Defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed also cross-examined the four prosecution witnesses.
Two Al Qaeda activists – Anwarul Haq and Usman Ghani -- are being tried for masterminding suicide car bombing to kill a US diplomat.
Four people were killed on March 2 this year 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 Marriott Hotel and Naval Surgery Hospital also left over 50 others wounded.
US Consulate official David Foy, his Pakistani driver Iftikhar and Lance Naik Zafar of Rangers were killed on the spot.
The body of the suicide bomber, later identified as Mohammed Tahir, was also torn into pieces.
According to investigators, the explosive-laden car was parked outside the naval establishment, and when the convoy, carrying the US official appeared, the bomber rammed his vehicle into the bullet-proof car. The vehicle flew up into the air before landing across a concrete barrier on the pavement of Marriot.
Dr Karrar Hussain deposed that he had obtained the blood samples of brother, mother and father of the alleged suicide bomber. He said he had handed over the blood samples to the investigation officer for DNA test.
Dr Farhat said he had examined five injured victims and Dr Zeashan said he had conducted the autopsies on the bodies of three blast victims.
ASI Muneer Masih submitted that he was on duty near the scene of the blast and also got injured.
Special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa has so far examined 17 prosecution witnesses.
According to prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa, the investigation officer, Inspector Tariq, got a clue about the identity of the suicide bomber in August.
According to the charge-sheet, 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 August 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 had also been imprisoned in Afghanistan. The father of the suicide bomber told the IO that a man visited his house thrice 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 another son, Raja Mohammed Idrees, who is a student at Binori Town Madrassah in July to tell him that Tahir had been martyred.
On August 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.
