Key accused arrested from Islamabad Airport

Azam Tariq murder case

ISLAMABAD: One of the main accused in 2003 broad-day light killing of Maulana Azim Tariq has been arrested in a major breakthrough of the investigations into the incident after 13 long years.

Maulana Azam Tariq was gunned down on October 6, 2003 on the outskirts of Islamabad while he was coming from Jhang to attend the National Assembly session. He was heading Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, an offshoot of SSP. 

The wanted suspect, Sibtain Kazmi, was arrested from Islamabad airport while he was attempting to flee to Manchester, UK, via Doha on Qatar Airline flight No QR633, on a UK resident card.

The sources claim that the Intelligence Bureau (IB), a couple of days ago provided the picture of the accused to the FIA officials with the details of his case. The accused, a proclaimed offender in case FIR No 119/2003 of PS Golra Islamabad, carried Rs1 million head money. However, his name was not included in the Exit Control List.

The FIA officials on duty were on their toes already so the moment he entered the premises of the immigration, an immigration officer checked his passport and matched the picture already provided to the FIA after which he directed him to sit down. Later on, his mobile phone and luggage was also confiscated and Golra Police was informed to receive their accused.

The sources claim that a Golra Police officer along with his team reached the airport and managed his formal arrest and shifted him to the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) office located in sector I-9. Shortly after which the accused was also taken to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad from where police got five-day physical remand of the accused.