High-profile: Prosecutor survives home invasion

Is state attorney in Wali Babar murder case.

KARACHI:

A state prosecutor associated with the high-profile Wali Khan Baber murder case narrowly escaped an attack when several assailants tried to break into his house in the wee hours of Thursday.

There was an exchange of fire between special public prosecutor (SPP) of the Anti-Terrorism Court-III Abdul Maroof and the attackers before they fled the scene. “I fired at them before they could. I think a couple of them got injured,” he said. He had anticipated the attack, it was learnt.

Maroof was appearing before the court in the Wali Khan Babar murder case after former prosecutor in the case, Naimat Ali Randhawa, was slain.



Intelligence agencies and the Crime Investigation Department had forewarned Maroof of threats to his life. He was subsequently provided security comprising three policemen who guard the prosecutor during office time.

“A few days ago, CID informed me that I could be attacked by terrorists but I had never thought this could happen at night,” said Maroof.

DSP Defence Tariq Mughal, while confirming the attack, said the men seem to be ‘experts’ as they had chosen the rooftop to break in. However, they couldn’t succeed because the prosecutor sensed the danger and fired at them.

“The prosecutor had been appearing in several big cases and the attack could be a result of that,” said Mughal. Police have opened probe into the case and are trying to get hold of the culprits, he added. “We are keeping a check on all the hospitals regarding the injured and bodies brought there today.”

Due to the threats, said Mughal, the prosecutor had been frequently changing residence. He had shifted to the current place three days ago, Mughal said, adding, “We have doubled security for the prosecutor.”

Besides the Wali Khan Babar case, Maroof has assisted the court on behalf of the state in a number of famous cases, including Shahzeb murder case, Hamza murder case, Ajmal Pahari case, Akram Lahori case and many other cases related to members of banned outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2013.