Behind every escaping man, there is a woman

KARACHI: A day after the chaotic attack on the city courts, police began its investigations on Sunday and found out that the wife of  a suspect gave a lot of help in formulating the escape plan.

“Murad Shah’s wife is one of the suspects who played a vital role in the attack,” officials told The Express Tribune. Shah was later killed in the attack.

“She frequently visited her husband and other accomplices in jail. They even communicated via mobile phones.”

It is also believed that Shah’s wife left just a few minutes before the attack, officials said.

Data of people who visited prisoners in Central Jail, Karachi, and their mobile phone logs are being collected. Meanwhile, information on all inmates who have associations with banned militant outfits is also being obtained.

According to jail officials, the provincial home department approves the list of people who can visit the militants — they are only allowed to meet them on Fridays.

An investigator said that preliminary reports showed that more than 10 people were involved in the incident. Three of the attackers entered the Bilal Mosque, situated near the courts, where the accused, escorted by two policemen, were sitting. They offered Zuhr prayers and stayed inside the mosque till the time of attack, around 3:15 pm.

“They appeared at the Additional District and Sessions Court (east) at around 10:30 am and remained there till 12:45 pm. The main question is why the police did not take them back to their holding cells? These under-trial prisoners (UTPs) should be escorted in court by Rangers and police officers. But nothing has been done,” officials said.

Investigators have started taking statements of those who visited the prisioners in the Central Jail, Karachi. About a dozen people, said to be their relatives and friends, have been arrested from different areas of the city.

Officials said that the involvement of police officers could not be ruled out because despite the fact that these suspects allegedly belong to a banned outfit, strict security measures were not taken.

Soon after the incident, the blame game began.

The city court police said that jail authorities never told them that they were bringing high-profile suspects.

But Mumtaz Burni, the DIG jails, said that Murad Shah, Shakeeb Farooqi, Murtaza Inayat and Wazir alias Shakir were taken to court in a car theft case.

“There is no need to inform the court police, but they already have information about every under-trial prisioner and it is their responsibility to make adequate security arrangements,” he said.

A case has been registered against three policemen of the city court police, including the lockup incharge.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the SHO of the City Court police said that FIR No 83/10 has been lodged.

CCPO visits city courts

CCPO Karachi Waseem Ahmed visited the city courts and inquired about the progress of the investigations.

He gave directives for the extra security measures to be taken, which included raising the boundary walls of the complex, installing CCTV surveillance cameras and walk-through gates.

“The security of the city courts will be improved further,” he assured.

Committees set up

Two different committees have been constituted under the supervision of the DIG south zone, Iqbal Mehmood, and the SSP Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Raja Umar Khattab.

“It is premature to disclose the progress about the incident,” Khattab said, adding that the Jundullah group, under which the suspects were operating, are working under Hamza Jofi who works for the alQaeda.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza asked IG Sindh on Sunday to set up a committee to probe into the incident, adding that a progress report should be sent to him immediately. Mirza said the Sindh High Court registrar will be consulted to take concrete security measures in governmental offices, especially the courts.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2010.