Kidnapping case: ATC issues notice to GHQ in Afaq Ahmed case

Colonel Malik and Major Ashraf of Pakistan Rangers summoned on Sep 9.

KARACHI:

An anti-terrorism court issued notices to the General Headquarters of Pakistan Army on Monday, for information about two military officials who had recovered a government officer abducted allegedly by Mohajir Qaumi Movement -Haqiqi in 2001.

The court also summoned two army officials, Abdul Malik and Ashraf, who served in Karachi as a colonel and major respectively in Pakistan Rangers, to record their statements in the kidnapping for ransom case against MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed. In the previous hearing, Rangers DG was directed to ensure that the officials appeared before the court.

On Monday, a representative of Rangers appeared before the court on behalf of the Rangers  DG and submitted a reply in writing saying that Colonel Malik and Major Ashraf had served in the Rangers, however, they went back to serve the army the same year. The representative told the court that Rangers were unaware about their whereabouts now.

The ATC-II issued a notice to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch of the GHQ to provide details of both the men. It issued summons for the officials for September 9. Earlier, the court had called the Rangers officials to record statements on August 19.

The court also enclosed the reply submitted by the Rangers’ representative with the notice and directed the JAG branch to submit a reply.

The MQM-H chief has been charged with abetting the May 2001 abduction of the complainant, Jameel Ahmed Baloch, the then sub-divisional officer of the defunct Karachi Development Authority in Korangi, for ransom. In the previous hearing, the complainant had also stated that the then Colonel Malik and Major Ashraf of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, had negotiated with the suspect and played a key role in his recovery and then handed him over to the police.

The court had reserved its order seeking evidence of the Rangers officials. The counsel had submitted that both the officials were important witnesses, but the investigation officer never named them as witnesses in the charge sheet. The counsel while requesting the court to summon the witnesses said that only court could order to call the witnesses in the case now.

According to the police, Baloch was called at Baitul Hamza, the then headquarters of MQM-H and was abducted allegedly by its chief, who pressurised Baloch to transfer the plot, Baitul Hamza, in the party’s name.

The police had registered a case no.201/2001, under section 365-A, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 at Korangi police station, Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.