ATC remands five alleged TTP militants

The suspects narrated different stories contradictory to the prosecution story

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) remanded on Wednesday five suspects allegedly affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to police custody on charges of attacking law enforcers with intent to murder, possessing illicit weapons and explosives.

The police submitted that the suspects, Zaheer, Shireen Gul, Mohsin, Akhtar and Yar Khan, were arrested after an exchange of fire in Rizvia Society. Police said that unlicensed weapons and hand grenades were also seized from their possession.

The alleged criminals were presented before the ATC-II by the Rizvia police who sought their remand, contending that the suspects were 'dangerous' militants of the TTP and were involved in a number of terrorism activities, including the killing of top police officers in the city.

On the other hand, the suspects narrated different stories contradicting the prosecution's version. They told the anti-terror judge that they were not arrested in a recent shootout and instead were picked up by the Rangers from different parts of the city.

Zaheer claimed that he was a K-Electric employee and was picked up from the Karachi airport on August 9 when he went there to receive his relatives coming from Islamabad. Similarly, Mohsin said that he too was arrested from the airport premises on August 19.

Gul maintained that he drove a seminary van and was arrested from Metroville area on July 17 when he was preparing for his prayers, while Akhtar asserted that he taught Arabic and Islamiat at a school in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and was taken into custody on July 14. Khan said that he was a religious scholar at Jamia Binoria, where he taught hadith.

On being asked by the judge whether the suspects know each other, four of them, except Khan, replied in the affirmative.

The judge also questioned the police officer who brought the suspects to court why he needed to interrogate the suspects when they were detained by the Rangers around two months ago.

The police officer claimed that he was given the case a day ago and he needed more time to interrogate them since he had evidence against the suspects.

The police officer was allowed by the judge to take the custody of the suspects on physical remand till September 22 and directed him to bring a progress report of the case at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2015.