July 11, 2008	Friday	Rajab 7, 1429

KARACHI, July 10: The Anti-Terrorism Court-III on Thursday recorded the statement of Shafaat Hussain, the complainant of a suicide attack in which Allama Hassan Turabi, a leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, and his nephew, Ali Turabi, were killed and four others were injured.

The attack was carried out on July 14, 2006 near the Allama’s residence in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. He had arrived home when the suicide bomber blew himself up. The religious leader had returned home after attending an anti-Israel demonstration organised by the MMA.

The suicide bomber was later identified as Abdul Karim. Police guards Azhar Hussain, Fakhar Hussain and Mohammad Rashid and a woman, Noreen, were injured in the blast.

Shafaat Hussain deposed that the suicide bomber, posing as a beggar, appeared from a red car while three other suspects riding two motorcycles, believed to be his associates, were present outside Allama Turabi’s residence. As soon as the Allama alighted from his car along with his nephew, the assailant rushed towards him and blew himself up, Mr Hussain added.

He also identified the three suspects as Sultan Mahmood alias Saifullah, Mohammad Amin alias Khalid Shaheen and Mohammad Rehman alias Mani, claiming that he had seen them at the scene of the blast.

The ATC-III judge, Ahmed Nawaz Sheikh, who is conducting the trial on the premises of the Central Prison Karachi, put off the hearing till July 24.

On March 19, the court had indicted five accused, Sultan Mahmood alias Saifullah, Mohammad Amin alias Khalid Shaheen, Mohammad Akbar Khan, Mohammad Rehman alias Mani and Ashfaq Qureshi on the charges of masterminding the suicide attack. Mufti Ilyas, Khalid Khan, Sohail Siddiqui and Ali Hasan have been declared absconder in the case registered at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

The prosecution alleged that the accused were also involved in a car-bomb attack on Allama Hassan Turabi on April 6, 2006. The MMA leader also headed the Tehrik-i-Islami. It claimed that they had planted a remote-controlled bomb in a cart and detonated it while the Allama passed by the booby-trap at a section of Abul Hassan Ispahani Road in his car. The religious scholar had, however, escaped unhurt in the blast. The case was registered at Mubina Town police station.

Kidnapping & murder case

The Anti-Terrorism Court-II on Thursday recorded the statements of two prosecution witnesses in a kidnapping and murder case, and adjourned the hearing for the day.

Abul Kalam and his son, Abdul Razzaq are facing the charges of kidnapping a 21-year-old youth, Kamal and killing him later. They were indicted on May 23.

North Nazimabad police had found a body on February 14 dumped near the Premier College and registered an FIR on behalf of the state. The victim was identified as Kamal, son of Abdul Haq, the next day. After initial investigations, the police arrested the accused on Feb 16.

Two witnesses, Mazhar Iqbal and Salahuddin, appeared in the court on Wednesday and recorded their statements.

In the charge-sheet, investigation officer of the case Hatim Khan Marwat stated that Kamal wanted to marry Abul Kalam’s daughter but the proposal was rejected. He stated that both the families were at odds over the matrimonial issue. He further stated that on Feb 13, the accused, along with his son, Abdul Razzaq, and another relative kidnapped and killed Kamal. Later, he added, they dumped the body near the Premier College.

The case (FIR No.81/08) was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.