ATC issues arrest warrant of ASI in hate-speech case

Witness identifies suspect in Naimat Randhawa's murder

KARACHI: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) while hearing a prosecution's request to close the hate speech case by declaring it Class-A, on Saturday issued bail able arrest warrants for Additional Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ashraf and ordered the investigation officer (IO) to present the plaintiff at the next hearing.

Accused in the case including Farooq Sattar, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Qamar Mansoor, Amir Khan and several others appeared before the court at Karachi Central Jail.

The court expressed displeasure with the IO over failure to produce the plaintiff of the case. The IO informed the court that the plaintiffs Gul Khan and Hashim were not available at the given address nor any other information could be obtained about the plaintiffs from the neighbours.

Advocate Irshad Bandhani, appearing for the accused, maintained that the cases against the suspects were based on lies. Prosecution has failed to find out the plaintiffs date but accused are appearing at each hearing.

The court expressed displeasure over the absence of the police personnel who registered the FIR of the case. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till June 15. According to the IO, the suspects are booked in two cases at Sohrab Goth police station. However, there were no evidences of facilitating the hate speech against the suspects.

Murder case

A police sub-inspector, Waseem Akhtar, appearing as a witness before an ATC, identified a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Kazim Abbas Rizwi, in the killing case of Naimat Ali Randhawa, who was counsel in journalist Wali Khan Babar's murder case.

The court summoned more suspects at the next hearing scheduled on April 29. The hearing was held before an ATC in the Karachi Central jail. The MQM workers, Kazim Abbas Rizvi and Noman were presented before the court. Witness identified the suspect Kazim Abbas before the court. The witness, in his statements, said that he along with Rangers official Muhammad Ishaq had arrested the suspect during a raid.

Javed Chattari, the counsel for the suspect Kazim Abbas, completed the cross-examination of Waseem Akhtar.  The court had declared three MQM activists as proclaimed absconders.  Azizullah, Abdullah alias Danish, Ghufran alias Sindhi are among absconding suspects.

According to the police, the suspects had opened fire murdering Naimat Ali Randhawa and injuring his son Tauqeer Randhawa in North Nazimabad area in September 2013.

Baldia factory case

Another ATC, hearing the Baldia factory fire case, summoned another major witness on the next hearing.

Jail officials presented accused Zubair alias Charya and Rehman alias Bhola before the court. The special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Sheikh and IO Raja Jahangir also appeared in the court.

The court inquired that how the Rs60 million were transferred to the accused's account after the incident. The court summoned the related bank manager, who is a crucial witness in the case, to record his statement on April 29.

Special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Sheikh said that the money was transferred to the accounts of the father of accused Ali Hassan Qadri in two banks at Hyderabad. Ali Hassan had asked to transfer Rs60 million in his father, Umar Qadri's account.

According to the police, the factory owners gave the money to accused to suppress the issue. The court also summoned Shokat Khayam who introduced the factory owners to the accused Abdul Sattar, Ali Hassan Qadri and Umar Qadri. The factory owners revealed about the payment of money before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

Remand allowed

The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts accepted the Counter-Terrorism Department's (CTD) request for physical remand of MQM-London's alleged target killer Kunwar Imran Ali Khan alias Imran Aijaz till April 30.

The CTD police presented the accused Kunwar before the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts at Sindh High Court. The IO informed the court that the arrested accused was the in-charge of target killing team of Nazimabad Gulbahar Sector.

The accused revealed during the initial interrogation that he had been involved in several target killing incidents including the murder of the former town Nazim of Liaquatabad, Dr Parvez Mehmood. Dr Parvez and his friend were killed in Nazimabad on September 11, 2012. The accused was on the run in Parvez Mehmood murder case. Accused was also responsible for stocking the weapons and ammunition for London. The court accepted the CTD's and allowed physical remand of  accused till April 30.

Sectarian killings

The administrative judge also accepted the request for physical remand of three accused involved in sectarian killings.

Three accused were presented before the administrative judge. The IO informed the judge that the accused, Muhammad Haider, Haider Abbas alias Police Wala and Kamran, were involved in the murder of Shehzad Qureshi, Salim, Arshad, Rashid and Irfan. The case against the accused was registered at New Karachi, Ajmer Nagri and Awami Colony police stations. The accused went into hiding after the murders.

The court accepted the requested for physical remand of the accused till April 30.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2019.