Officials say they still waiting for ASF to provide CCTV footage from the day Jatoi escaped to Dubai.
The Supreme Court expressed displeasure with the Federal Investigation Agency after learning they had yet to receive CCTV footage to determine how Shahrukh Jatoi – the prime suspect in the Shahzeb Khan murder case – was able to board an international flight from Karachi despite being on the exit control list.
During the proceedings, FIA legal director Azam Khan told a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, that the agency had written to Airport Security Force authorities requesting they be provided the relevant CCTV footage and details of the officers on duty the day Shahrukh escaped to Dubai, but still awaited its response.
“It is unfortunate that the FIA has been unable to obtain the footage two months after Shahzeb was shot dead … law enforcement officials will later claim the footage was destroyed since they are preserved for a limited time period … We fear an important piece of evidence might be lost,” observed Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.
Chief Justice Chaudry also expressed displeasure at the FIA’s ‘lethargy’ in the case, observing that it showed how anyone in the country could make an unlawful exit.
Meanwhile, the bench directed the FIA’s Karachi chapter director and deputy director to appear before the court today (Friday).
Earlier during the hearing, the FIA legal director briefed the court on Shahrukh’s escape. According to the officer, the suspect obtained his ticket from Fazl-e-Rabbi travel agency under the name Syed Shah Rukh. Shahrukh’s boarding card for the Emirates Airline flight to Dubai carried a bogus passport number. The boarding card was issued by Jerry Dinota, a private company that helps Emirates Airline with issuing the cards, he told the court. He added that there was no record for Shahrukh at any of the immigration counters at Karachi Airport and investigators suspected he was escorted directly to the aircraft.
The FIA legal director said an FIR under sections 419, 420 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code with sections 3, 4 and 6 for the Passport Act had been lodged against those who helped Shahrukh escape. He said the agency had arrested two men in this regard as well – namely Talha, who helped Shahrukh obtain the boarding card, and Sohail, who sold him his ticket.
Meanwhile, the bench also questioned the purpose of obtaining Shahrukh’s bone ossification report from a police surgeon despite the trial court’s orders that the age-determining test be conducted by a medical board and directed DIG Shahid Hayat to produce the police file on the case today (Friday). The police surgeon’s report had declared the suspect a juvenile, while a later report by a medical board concluded he was over 19 years of age.
Separately, the bench allowed Shahrukh’s plea that he be made a party in the suo motu case since his right of fair trial was being violated.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2013.
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FIA is charging outbound passengers at QA International Airport up to $300 bribe. A recent incident happen two week ago, when a passenger with fully paid boarding pass was denied boarding right at the gate. The passenger then received a call from the Airport and demanded bribe otherwise he will not be able to leave. He was also been threatened to be locked up and relatives will be harassed, as they found out where he resides. Pakistan should approach Guinness Book of World Record to be entered as the largest prison of the Universe holding about 80-100 million prisoners.
The case is heading towards its logical conclusion that this country was made for the powerful people.