Karachi airport attack case: ATC issues arrest warrants for TTP chief, 7 others

The suspects were declared proclaimed offenders in the Karachi airport attack case

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday declared the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, his former spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid and six others as proclaimed offenders in the Karachi airport attack case.

The ATC-I ordered action against the absconding suspects - Fazlullah, Shahid, Malik Mumtaz Awan, Asim Sharif, Abdur Rasheed, Akhtar alias Plumber, Iqbal alias Thekedar and Abdullah Baloch - under Sections 87 and 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure after the police contented they were unable to ascertain their whereabouts. The police submitted that Fazlullah and Shahid had addresses of Sohrab Goth but they could not be traced. The court declared the suspects as proclaimed offenders, ordering confiscation of their properties.

In the previous two hearings, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the absconding suspects.



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Three suspects - Sarmad Siddiqi, Asif Zaheer and Nadeem alias Burger alias Mullah - are currently in jail custody for their alleged involvement in the attack.

According to police, the suspects are affiliated with banned militant outfits and had provided logistic support, weapons and funds to the attackers who stormed the airport in Karachi.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till January 26.

Attack

At least 27 people, including security personnel and airport staffers, were killed on June 8 this year as militants launched an attack on the Karachi airport. All 10 militants were subsequently killed in the gunfight with security forces in an overnight siege of the country's busiest airport.

The responsibility of the attack was claimed by the TTP, prompting the Pakistan military to carry out a major offensive, Zarb-e-Azb, against the militants in North Waziristan.

The case has been registered at the Airport police station under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (deterring public servant from duty through criminal force), 427 (causing damage), 435 (causing damage with fire or explosives), 436 (causing damage with fire or explosives with intention to destroy), 109 (abetting a crime), 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Section 3 (causing explosion), 4 (attempt to cause explosion) and 5 (possessing explosives) of the Explosive Substances Act, read with section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.