KARACHI: Three more prosecution witnesses examined: US diplomat killing case
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 13: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday adjourned hearing of the case of a US diplomat’s killing in a suicide bomb blast till Thursday. Two alleged activists of the Al Qaeda are facing trial for masterminding the attack. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 recorded deposition of three more prosecution witnesses on Wednesday in the trial being conducted inside the Central Prison Karachi. The witnesses were Dr Shafi Patoli, Medico-legal Officer at the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, Shahid Ali, an employee of the US consulate, and Colonel Mohammed Anver. They were also cross-examined by defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed.
The two accused are Anwarul Haq and Usman Ghani.
The US diplomat, David Foy, his Pakistani driver Iftikhar and Lance Naik Zafar of Rangers, besides the assailant, identified later as Mohammad Tahir, were killed on March 2 this year when the suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the diplomat’s vehicle yards away from the US consulate. The blast that took place in a narrow lane between the Marriott Hotel and Naval Surgery Hospital also left over 50 others wounded.
Dr Patoli told the court that the investigation officer of the case had brought to him a finger and a bone of right hand of the alleged suicide bomber. He said he had sealed off the body parts of the suicide bomber for DNA test.
Shahid Ali said he was sent to the JPMC by the consulate to identify the dead consulate official and his driver. He said he had gone to the hospital and identified David Foy and Iftikhar.
Colonel Mohammed Anver stated that he had gone to the naval hospital for his physiotherapy. He said he was parking his car at the hospital when the blast took place. He said he was injured and his car was damaged in the blast.
Special Public Prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa has so far examined 24 prosecution witnesses.
According to investigators, the assailant had stationed his explosive-laden car outside the naval establishment and rammed it into the diplomat’s bullet-proof car, in a convoy, appeared on the scene. The vehicle blew up into the air before landing across a concrete barrier on the pavement of the Marriot Hotel.
According to the charge-sheet, the bomber, Mohammed Tahir, son of Raja Afzal, had left his house in Landhi on March 2 after Fajr prayers and later his family was informed of the incident.
On Aug 15, the investigation officer visited bomber’s house and recorded his father’s statement. Raja Afzal told the investigation officer that his son had gone to Afghanistan for Jihad thrice and had also been imprisoned in that country. He further stated 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 in each of the visits, respectively.
According to Raja Afzal, the same man had contacted his other son, Raja Mohammed Idrees, who is a student at the Binnori Town Madressah, in July to tell him about Tahir’s ‘martyrdom’.
On Aug 18, the IO recorded statement of Idrees, who also supported his father’s statement and told the officer that he knew one of his brother’s friends, Usman, who had brought his letter to the family from Afghanistan during his detention there.
INDICTED: The Anti-terrorism Court No. 3, headed by Judge Syed Saghir Hussain Zaidi, on Wednesday indicted two accused in a kidnapping for ransom case.
The judge put off the hearing till Dec 18 after accused Abdul Shakoor alias Bholu and Amanat Ali alias Chunnu denied the charge and pleaded not guilty.
The court asked Special Public Prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum to produce prosecution witnesses on the next date of hearing.
According to the prosecution, the two accused had kidnapped six-year-old Abubakar on May 29, 2005 in Korangi and initially demanded Rs5 million as ransom for his release.
The boy had come to Karachi along with his family from Bahawalpur to attend a family marriage. The accused, who are also relatives of the victim, later agreed to reduce the ransom money to Rs50,000. The family handed over the money to the accused at the Bahawalpur railway station and got Abubakar freed.
