KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has declared 15 absconding suspects as proclaimed offenders for allegedly masterminding and facilitating an armed attack on the Chinese consulate general in Karachi.

The Counter-Terrorism Department booked and arrested 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 general on Nov 23, 2018 in Clifton.

It claimed that Harbiyar 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 had ‘masterminded and facilitated’ the attack.

The matter came up before the ATC-VII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, when the investigating officer submitted a report regarding completion of the process of proclamation and attachment of properties of the absconding suspects, as required under sections 87 and 88 of the criminal procedure code.

The judge issued perpetual warrants for their arrest and bifurcated their case from the held suspects. The court also ordered the authorities to forfeit their movable and immoveable properties.

ATC to indict held ‘BLA men’ on Jan 6

The court fixed the matter for indictment of the detained suspects on Jan 6.

On a previous hearing, the IO had filed a compliance report mentioning that non-bailable warrants could not be executed on 17 suspects allegedly absconding in the present case since their whereabouts could not be ascertained and the National Database and Registration Authority 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 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 IO had stated that the militants stormed the consulate building and started firing and throwing hand-grenades and killing 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.

He 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 improvised explosive device (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 said that a pamphlet of the banned BLA was allegedly found in the possession of a militant 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 had 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’.

The report added that the BLA was supported by the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing, RAW.

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

In the progress report, the IO had said the attackers were constantly in contact with their masterminds.

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

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2020