Police seek written order to decode Ali Raza Abidi’s iPhone

The phone was sent to the manufacturer who has sought court orders to decode it

KARACHI: The investigation officer (IO) in the murder case of former Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA Syed Ali Raza Abidi filed an application on Monday before the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) for a written order to decode Abidi’s iPhone.

According to police, the iPhone could not be decoded in Pakistan due to lack of facilities and was sent to the manufacturer, Apple, in the United States of America (USA) to be decoded.

The USA has sought a copy of the permission deed in order to process the request. The appeal maintained that police wants to retrieve information from the phone’s history and the strict security laws of iPhones are hindering the investigation.

Minor rape, murder case

The administrative judge of the ATCs gave on Monday three suspects in the rape and murder case of a minor girl to police on a five-day physical remand. The three accused, Farhan, Shan and Junaid, who were in police custody, were presented before the judge.



The IO informed the judge that the accused, Farhan, raped and strangulated to death a 10-year-old minor girl and abandoned her body in a water tank on the third floor of a building in Railway Colony, Bin Qasim Town.

He said the suspects were identified through the DNA samples collected from the minor’s body. A case has been registered against the suspects under the anti-terrorism act, he added.

The body of the minor girl was found on February 28. The child was found tied to the overhead water tank on the rooftop.

Ranjhani murder case

The physical remand of both accused in Irshad Ranjhani murder case was extended by the administrative judge of the ATCs by four days.

Accused, Rahim Shah and sub-inspector Riaz, were presented before the court by the police. The court extended their physical remand and sought a progress report on the case.

Irshad Ranjhani was killed on February 6 by UC Nazim Rahim Shah.

Notice issued to witness

A special court of the ATC issued a notice on Monday to East Judicial Magistrate Zakaullah Abro for his testimony in the murder case of police officers, SHO Nasirul Hassan and Khurram Butt, who participated in the 1993 operation against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The court directed the IO to appear with the police file.



The jail authorities presented accused Obaid K-2, Ishtiaq Policewala, Zakir Hussain and Syed Shakir, before the court. The accused were arrested from MQM headquarters Nine-Zero. Suspect Khwaja Faisal who is on bail also appeared before the court.

The hearing was adjourned till March 19. According to police, the statements of six witnesses out of 35 have been recorded. The accused opened fire at the SHO in Brigade area in July 2010 for revenge. The two police officers were murdered in the incident which occurred on the orders of MQM’s top leadership.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2019.