ATC indicts accused on terror financing charge

Investigation officer informed that the accused has links with banned terrorist outfits including al Qaeda


​ Our Correspondent December 22, 2019
PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) indicted on Saturday an accused in a case pertaining to the financial facilitation of terrorism.

Prison officials presented the accused, Abdul Rehman alias Al-Sindhi, before the court, where he denied the charges against him. The court ordered the investigation officer, Counter Terrorism Department SHO Fayaz Ahmed, to present the witnesses at the next hearing and added that the court will hear the case on a daily basis from now on.

SHO Ahmed informed the court that Rehman had links with banned terrorist outfits, including Al-Qaida, Jaish-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Al-Akhter Trust International and Harkatul Jihad al Islami. He further revealed that Rehman has been involved in funds collection for Jaish-e-Muhammad Pakistan, adding that a receipt book of the banned outfit was found from his possession at the time of arrest.

Hearing adjourned

Meanwhile, a special ATC adjourned the hearing of a case pertaining to the provision of medical facilities to terrorists, due to the absence of the petitioner.

Institutions to pool info on terror financing

The court was hearing the case at the Central Jail Karachi on Saturday, where Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhter, former provincial minister Rauf Siddiqi, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel and other accused appeared before the court. Dr Asim Hussain, who is also one of the accused, has gone abroad for medical treatment with the court's permission till December 28.

Pakistan Rangers DSR Inayatullah Durrani, however, failed to appear before the court. The Sindh Rangers' counsel, Advocate Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, maintained that the petitioner was unable to appear before the court due to illness.

The court adjourned the hearing till January 11. The counsels of the accused will continue to cross-examine the petitioner's statement in the next hearing.

FATF gives Pakistan until October to curb terror financing

Court seeks more witnesses

A special ATC has summoned more witnesses on the next hearing of 27 cases registered against the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, pertaining to provocative speeches. The court recorded the statement of the witness, Quaidabad SIO Khursheed Khattak.

The head of the Organisation Restoration Committee Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Qamar Mansoor, Rehan Hashmi, Hunaid Lakhani, Mahfooz Yar Khan, Amjadullah and other accused also appeared before the court.

The next hearing of the case will take on place on January 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2019.

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