KPO attack case trial stalls for want of appointment of special prosecutor

The trial in the high-profile Karachi Police Office (KPO) attack case seems to have stalled for want of appointment of a special prosecutor as an anti-terrorism court put off the hearing once again after the investigation officer sought time.

Two suspects, Abdul Aziz and Mehran Ahmed, have been charged with facilitating the February 17, 2023, terrorist attack on the police office that killed four people, including Rangers Inspector Taimor Shehzad and police constables Muhammad and Ghulam Abbas, and injured 18 others, most of whom were security personnel.

The ATC-XIII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, resumed the hearing of the case as the two detained suspects were produced from the prison.

Investigation Officer (IO) Irfan Ahmed once again submitted an application stating that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) intended to have a special prosecutor appointed in the present case, adding that a letter had been written to the prosecutor general office for the purpose, seeking more time for the appointment of a prosecutor.

The judge directed the prosecution office to submit a report on whether it had received a letter for the appointment of a special prosecutor until the next date.

No prosecution witness was in attendance. Adjourning the hearing until January 22, the court repeated summons to all witnesses through the IO.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman and social media handler Mohammad Khurasani and two other militants — Moulvi Sher Zaman and Umer Farooq — were nominated in the FIR by police for “masterminding, aiding and facilitating” the attack.

Zaman and Farooq have already been declared proclaimed offenders in the case, with perpetual warrants issued for their arrest.

According to the charge sheet filed by the IO, two facilitators of the attack, Aariyadullah and Abdul Wahid, were killed in a shootout with police in Manghopir on March 13, while Aziz and Mehran were arrested. The four suspects were travelling from Balochistan to Karachi with an intention to carry out terrorist attacks when they were intercepted by law enforcers.

The charge sheet read that Aziz had facilitated the KPO attack by purchasing a Toyota car for Rs1 million from Hub, Balochistan, for the attackers, which the three terrorists used for travelling to the Saddar Police Lines, where they entered the KPO building from the back by cutting barbed wires.

The IO mentioned that two other persons on a motorcycle accompanied the attackers and showed them their target, following which they got out of the car. One of the attackers, Zala Noor, blew himself up, while the other two, one of whom was identified as Kifayatullah, were killed by the security forces during the gunfight.

The officer said Khurasani and two other TTP militants orchestrated, aided and facilitated the attack. Khurasani had claimed the responsibility for the KPO attack on social media.

In the light of the statements of the detained suspects, Khurasani, Zaman and Farooq were charge-sheeted under Section 512 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for committing offences punishable under the sections 11-F (proscription of person), 22-I (aid and abetment) and 22-L (punishment for an absconder) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

More sections, including 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to the amount of one hundred rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), were incorporated in the case after the completion of investigations.

Initially, an FIR was lodged at the CTD police station on behalf of the state under the sections 34 (common intention), 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to Rs50) and 460 (breaking into a house for murder) of the PPC, and the section 3/4 of the Explosive Substances Act, read with the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the ATA.