‘Terrorist toddler’ let loose

Cops accuse 2-year-old of terrorism & robbery; court grants bail to boy and father.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Kala police station has nominated two- and-a-half-year-old Mustafa as the leading suspect in a terrorism case.

Police officials announced that Mustafa and his father were seen escaping on a motorcycle from a house that had just been robbed. “When we began to tail them they opened fire on the police van. The men were carrying a Kalashnikov,” said constable Rashid Yahya, adding that Mustafa was driving the motorcycle.

“They have accused my two-year-old of robbery and terrorism. It is ridiculous. I had seated him near the motorbike handlebars to keep him safe,” Mustafa’s father Siddique said. The police, however insisted that Mustafa and his father were responsible for a robbery bid at DG Khan resident Malik Atta’s house. “They were escaping when we tailed them,” Kala police inspector Sajjad said, adding that police had not had the opportunity yet to “question the boy”.

Accused Mustafa was presented with his father Siddique before the court of additional judge Khalid Mehmood on Saturday and received bail before his arrest. Siddique informed the court about the registration of a fake case against him based on a personal vendetta.

Keeping in view the boy’s age, he was given bail on a personal bond. The judge said that it was impossible for a toddler to even wield a Kalashnikov, let alone use it and excused the child from the court room.

The police have changed their story and have now nominated Siddique’s older son Saeed in the investigation. Siddique has appealed to the court to dispose off the case.

Siddique said that Kala police station officials had already broke into his house twice in order to arrest his son. “At first they maintained that the culprit was Mustafa, and even after we were excused by the court on bail, they broke in and tried to arrest me,” he said. Siddique said that the police eventually changed their stance and accused his older son Saeed, who is a labourer of being involved in the firing incident and robbery.

“This is all about a personal enmity. Initially they accused my baby son of terrorism and now they are charging my other son who isn’t even living in the same district,” Siddique said, adding that he had recently rejected a bribe by a police official.

“Someone at the station wanted to pay me to use my house for a day but I refused because when I asked them why they needed it they told me it was none of my concern,” Siddique told reporters.

Muhammad Siddique and his counsel Abdul Aziz told reporters that the Kala police station registered a motorcycle robbery (Honda 125) case and a terrorism case on September 26. “At the time the accused escaped the scene and police have been searching for them for a couple of months,” Aziz said, adding that the police were now trying to peg the case on Siddique and his son. “I think they randomly selected a name from the NADRA database and didn’t know the person was only two years old!” he said. The police have broken into Mustafa’s house twice since they charged him with the robbery and have searched the premises.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2010.