Hijacking in jest: Alleged ‘hijacker’ remanded to police custody

KARACHI: The Anti-Terrorism Court remanded alleged hijacker to the custody of Airport police till May 4 on Saturday.

Accused Javed Ansari was arrested on Friday evening after he allegedly talked about his ability to ‘hijack’ the plane, a turbo prop aircraft carrying 48 passengers and crew from Karachi to Bhawalpur. Although unclear that what made accused Javed Ansari, a foreign qualified textile engineer, to utter words forbidden on a plane.

According to Pakistan’s law, the offence fell within Anti Terrorism Act and carries death penalty. According to remand papers, the accused talked about hijacking with the air hostess who immediately informed the pilot who in turn relayed the alert and landed back at Karachi airport where Airport Security Force took the man into custody.

An initial search by ASF and other law enforcers and later a detailed one by police concerned said that nothing suspicious was recovered from the body or baggage of the accused. The accused was produced before the ATC-I headed by Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso on Saturday afternoon with a request for physical custody. The ATC judge allowed the request and remanded the accused to custody of the police till May 4.

PIB case

The same court also remanded another accused Muhammad Ibrahim to the custody of SIU police till May 5.

The accused was said to be involved in attack and double murder case of sector member of Muttahidda Qaumi Movement, Mansoor Mukhtar and his brother in PIB Colony.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2012.