KARACHI, Sept 25: An anti-terrorism court put off on Monday the hearing of the US diplomat killing case against two activists of Al-Qaeda after initiating the process to declare an absconding accomplice proclaimed offender.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 initiated the process of proclamation against accused Mohammed Zafar alias Qari Zafar after the court was informed that the accused was not available at his residence and he had apparently gone into hiding to avoid arrest.

Four people were killed on March 2 when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the diplomat’s vehicle yards away from the US consulate-general.

The blast that took place in a narrow lane between the Marriott Hotel and the Naval Surgery Hospital also left 48 others wounded.

US consulate official David Foy, his Pakistani driver Iftikhar and Lance Naik Zafar of Rangers were killed instantly.

The body of the suicide bomber, later identified as Mohammed Tahir, was also torn into pieces.

According to investigators, the explosive-laden car had been parked outside the naval establishment. When the convoy carrying the US official appeared, the bomber rammed his vehicle into the bullet-proof car. The five-door vehicle flew up into the air before landing across a concrete barrier on the pavement of the Marriot Hotel.

The windowpanes of the hotel were shattered with splinters hitting several guests. The concrete wall of the naval establishment was damaged as was the rear portion of the hotel. At least 14 vehicles were destroyed in the blast.

The investigation of the case was assigned to Inspector Tariq who got a tip-off about the identity of the suicide bomber in August.

According to the charge-sheet, an informer told the investigation officer that Mohammed Tahir, son of Raja Afzal, had left his Landhi house on March 2 after Fajr prayers and later his family was informed of his martyrdom. On Aug 15, the investigation officer visited the house of the suicide bomber and recorded the statement of his father.

Raja Afzal told the investigator that his son had gone to Afghanistan for Jihad thrice and he had also been imprisoned in Afghanistan.

He said his son did not return home since he left after Fajr prayers on March 2. The father of the suicide bomber told the IO that a lame man visited his house thrice after the disappearance of his son and gave him Rs5,000, Rs8,000 and Rs10,000 during his three visits.

Raja Afzal also told the investigator that the same man contacted another son of his, Idrees, who is a student at the Binori Town Madressah, in July to tell him that Tahir had been martyred.

On Aug 18, the investigation officer recorded the statement of Idrees, who also supported the statement of his father.

The brother of the suicide bomber told the IO that he knew one of his brother’s friends, Usman, who had brought his letter to the family from Afghanistan during his detention there.

On Aug 21, the police arrested Usman Ghani and Anwar Ul Haq, the two suspected Al Qaeda activists, for masterminding suicide car bombing to kill US diplomat.

MENGAL CASE: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 deferred the judgment in the army personnel hostage-taking case against former Balochistan chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal and his four domestic servants.

The judge fixed Sept 30 for the pronouncement of the verdict.

Four servants of the Baloch leader -- Nasarullah Mengal, Ghulam Hyder Langah alias Chappar, Mehboob Ali Satti and Ghulam Qadir – have been prosecuted in the case. Mengal was declared a proclaimed offender by the court, which also ordered the attachment of his entire moveable and immoveale properties to the state.

Complainant Havildar Qurban Hussain of the Military Intelligence alleged that on April 5 he, along with his colleague Lance Naik Fayyaz Ahmed, was on duty on Khyaban-i-Shamsheer, Saba Commercial Area, when Mengal’s servants kidnapped them and made them hostage on April 5.

Akhtar Mengal, who is also chief of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), and other unidentified persons were declared absconding co-accused in the charge-sheet.

It was alleged that Sardar Akhtar Mengal kidnapped the army personnel with the intention to kill them when army personnel were on their intelligence duty.

The complainant of the case, Qurban Hussain, submitted in his FIR that they were made hostage at the DHA residence of Sardar Akhtar Mengal for two hours and were subjected to torture.

The complainant alleged that around 7:55am Sardar Akhter Mengal came out of his bungalow and ordered his servants to take them inside the bungalow, where they were beaten up. The servants also allegedly snatched their money, national identity cards and service cards. The police arrested the four servants on April 8.