KARACHI: An antiterrorism court deferred on Wednesday indictment of five alleged facilitators in the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.

The Counter-Terrorism Department booked and detained Mohammad Aslam, Ahmed Hasnain, Ali Ahmed, alias Hashim, Nadir Khan, alias Arif Buledi and Abdul Latif — all said to be associated with the banned separatist Baloch Liberation Army — for allegedly facilitating three heavily armed militants, who were killed while attempting to enter the Chinese consulate on Nov 23, 2018 in Clifton.

On Wednesday, the matter came up before the ATC-VII judge, who is conducting trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, for indictment of the suspects in identical cases pertaining to the main attack, illicit arms and explosives.

However, the special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh informed that two identical cases that also pertained to the illicit weapons and explosives had been transferred to the ATC-X.

The judge deferred the indictment of the suspects and fixed the matter on Feb 13.

In a previous hearing, the investigating officer had filed a compliance report mentioning that non-bailable warrants could not be executed on 17 other suspects allegedly absconding in the present case since their whereabouts could not be ascertained since Nadra and the Election Commission of Pakistan did not have their identification data.

According to the prosecution, seven people, including three heavily armed militants, two policemen and two visitors — were shot dead in a gun-and-grenade attack by them on the Chinese consulate located in the high-security zone in Clifton’s Block-4.

In a progress report, filed with the court in January 2019, the investigating officer had stated that the terrorists stormed the consulate building and started firing and throwing hand-grenades and also killed assistant sub-inspector Ashraf Dawood and police constable Mohammad Amir, who were posted at the first security checkpoint, while Mohammad Jumman, who was posted at the entrance to the visa section, was injured by their firing.

It further stated that after hearing shots the visitors as well as the staff went into the consulate and locked the doors from inside. Therefore, the attackers tried to plant an IED to blow up the iron gate but failed to do so due to firing by the security forces personnel from the outside. A visa seeker, Tahir Shah, and his father, Niaz Ahmed, were hit by the attackers’ firing and died on the spot, it added.

It added that a flag of the banned Baloch Liberation Army was found in the possession of the terrorist identified as Raziq Baloch, while a national ID card and another card, showing him as an employee of the irrigation department of the Balochistan government, was also found on him.

It stated that the BLA had released pictures of the three terrorists and claimed responsibility of the ‘suicide attack’ carried out by the outlawed Fidayeen Sarbaz of Majeed Brigade, adding that the BLA was supported by the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing, or RAW.

It mentioned that the ‘foiled’ attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi was a failed attempt to vitiate Pakistan-China relations.

In the progress report, the IO had said the attackers were constantly in contact with Harbiyaar Marri, Aslam Baloch alias Achhu, Bashir Zaib, Noor Bux Mengal, Kareem Marri, ‘captain’ Rehman Gul, ‘commanders’ Nisar, Sheikhu, Gaindi, Sharif, Hamal, Munshi, Agha Sher Dil and others, who were the masterminds and facilitators of the terrorist attack.

It said four Kalashnikovs, two improvised explosive devices, detonators, hand-grenades, explosive material and bullets were also seized from the possession of the three militants.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2020