RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) No-I, Rawalpindi Judge Pervez Ismael Joya on the application filed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) declared former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP Operations) Yaseen Farooq as ‘hostile witness’ in BB murder case here on Thursday. During hearing, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar requested court to declare former SSP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq a ‘hostile witness’ in BB murder case. The court considered the request and ordered FIA to submit a written application against former SSP (Operations) to declare him a ‘hostile witness’ properly in BB murder case. Later, the FIA submitted an application with the ATC requesting the court to declare former SSP Operations Yaseen Farooq as hostile witness.Earlier, the court adjourned further hearing of BB murder case till February 2, 2015.During hearing, former SP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq, Assistant Director (FIA) Qamar Zaman and Deputy Director (FIA) Noman Ashraf recorded their statements before ATC. FIA Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar told the court that former SSP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq was fully cooperating and backing former CPO Saud Aziz and former SP Khurram Shahzad in BB murder case. He was trying to misguide the court as ‘hostile witness’ because former SSP (Operations) recorded another statement before a judicial magistrate but now he was giving a new statement in BB murder case, which he agreed before the court on Thursday. “I request the court to declare former SSP (Operations) a ‘hostile witness’ immediately,” he requested. During hearing, FIA special prosecutor showed former SSP (Operations) his first statement, which he recorded before a judicial magistrate. Former SSP (Operations) had also agreed that he gave this statement before a judicial magistrate at that time. Former SSP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq became an approver and recorded his statement against former CPO Saud Aziz in 2011. He recorded his statement before Judicial Magistrate Kamran Cheema in which he said that SP (Headquarters) Ashfaq Anwar, who was the security in charge of Benazir Bhutto left the place with the orders of Saud Aziz at that time. Saud Aziz ordered the SP (Headquarters) to go to Koral Chauki rather than to perform security duty of Benazir Bhutto at that time while there was no need of this order, the SSP (Operation) said in his statement. But, during hearing at Adiala Jail here on Thursday former SSP (Operations) backtracked from earlier statement and recorded another statement before ATC judge. It is worth mentioning here that Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) a day before on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for former SSP (Operations) Yasin Farooq for not appearing before the court, despite receiving summons, for recording his statement in Benazir Bhutto (BB) murder case. The court also ordered City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi to arrest the former police officer and present him before the court on Thursday. Meanwhile, the other two prosecution witnesses including SP Ashfaq Anwar and Ismail, a telephone operator of the country’s premier intelligence agency, did not attend the court hearing.
