ATC grants 10-day remand of suspected facilitators

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has directed the Sindh Home Department to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the two suspects arrested in connection with the airport suicide attack targeting Chinese nationals in the metropolitan city. The court also granted a 10-day physical remand to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for further investigation.

The two suspects, identified as Javed alias Sameer and Gul Nisa, were presented before the ATC by CTD officials on Tuesday where the investigating officer (IO) sought physical remand, arguing that it was necessary for interrogation and to gather further details.

According to the IO, the accused had facilitated the suicide bomber and are believed to have links with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The IO also claimed that the airport attack had been carried out with the assistance of a foreign hostile intelligence agency.

The court granted the 10-day remand and directed the CTD to submit a progress report on the investigation at the next hearing. The court also ordered the formation of a JIT to further investigate the suspects' connections and the broader network behind the attack.