KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court abated on Thursday a case against the slain Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour related to generating funds for terrorism through sale and purchase of properties in Pakistan by using fake identities as he had been killed in a US drone attack in 2016.

The Federal Investigation Agency had booked Mullah Akhtar Mansour, alias Mohammad Wali, alias Gul Mohammad, and his two alleged absconding accomplices — Akhtar Mohammad and Ammar — over their alleged involvement in generating funds through purchase and sale of properties in Karachi using fake identities to fund terrorist activities in the country.

Taking up the matter, the ATC-II judge noted that the two suspects, Ammar and Akhtar Mohammad, were still absconding while the third suspect, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, was killed in the drone strike on May 21, 2016 at the Pak-Iran border, as per the charge sheet.

Assistant director of the FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing Khalid Hussain Sheikh appeared with investigating officer Rehmatullah Domki.

Assistant attorney general Waseem Akhtar, appointed special public prosecutor in this case by the federal government, was absent.

Fake identities were used for sale and purchase of properties in Karachi

In response to a letter issued by the court, representatives of the Allied Bank Limited Satellite Town branch, Quetta, sent a report with a pay order in the sum of Rs159,350 — an amount which was lying unclaimed in the bank account of the slain Afghan Taliban leader Mansour — and deposited the same with the officer in charge, or Nazir, of the court.

The judge took the report on record.

IO Domki filed a report regarding completion of the process of proclamation and attachment of the properties of the suspects, as ordered by the court under sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The IO also recorded his statement, stating that the assets worth Rs40.5 million owned by the slain Taliban leader in Pakistan by using his fake identities had been recovered on directives of the court and deposited in the government treasury.

The assets included five properties, reportedly purchased by Mullah Mansour in Karachi valued at Rs32m, auctioned by the court against Rs44,665,000, the IO said.

He added that the Afghan Taliban leader had also purchased a life insurance policy from a local insurance company, which had deposited the invested amount of Rs347,000 with the court.

He further mentioned that moveable assets, such as money estimated between Rs2m and Rs2.5m, kept by Mullah Mansour in his bank accounts had also been seized and deposited in the government treasury.

He maintained that no properties were found in the name of the Taliban leader in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After recording his statement, the judge abated the case against Mullah Akhtar Mansour as he had been killed in the drone attack.

The judge declared his two alleged absconding accomplices — Ammar and Akhtar Mohammad — as proclaimed offenders after the IO declared them untraceable and argued that there was no likelihood of them being arrested in the near future.

The judge issued perpetual non-bailable warrants for their arrest through the field unit of FIA’s CTW for execution through the IO of the case.

Meanwhile, the judge ordered the office to issue a letter to the immigration department to enter the names of the proclaimed offenders in the Exit Control List and also block their passports.

It also directed the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to block the CNICs of both the proclaimed offenders.

The case against them was kept on dormant file till their arrest or surrender.

The judge fixed the matter for March 26 for submission of replies from Nadra and the immigration department.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2021