Mullah Fazlullah, Shahidullah declared proclaimed offenders

Karachi
An anti-terrorism court has declared eight absconding accused, including banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah and spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, involved in the Karachi Airport attack case as proclaimed offenders.
The ATC also directed the prosecution to frame charges against the three under-detention accused on January 31.
ATC-I judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso was informed the court orders were executed in terms of confiscation of properties of the eight absconding accused.
Previously, the court had ordered the Investigation Officer Inspector Tariq Qayyum to initiate the proceeding against the absconders under Sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code and to publicise the pictures of the absconders and also confiscate their properties.
Qayyum informed the court that due requirements were fulfilled by publication of their pictures in newspapers and taking necessary measures for confiscation of their movable and immovable properties.
The court had issued non-bailable warrants of arrest (NBW) for Fazlullah, Shahid, Malik Mumtaz Awan, Asim Shareef, Akhtar alias Plumber, Iqbal alias Thaikedar, Abdullah Baloch and Abdul Rasheed numerous times. The absconders were alleged to have carried out an armed attack on the Karachi airport in July 2014 resulting in the deaths of 15 people.
Three under-detention accused, namely Sarmad Siddiqui, Nadeem alias Burger and Asif Zaheer, were produced amid heavy security in the court that permitted for framing charges against them on January 31.
One of the co-accused, Master Essa has been freed by the police as no proof of his involvement in the case was found.
The TTP had claimed responsibility for the attack in revenge for the killing of former TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike in 2013.
Now the IO has submitted police report before the court in order to try only three detained accused in the absence of eight absconding accused.