IO told to submit final charge sheet against ‘Daesh recruiter’

A judicial magistrate of the South district ordered on Thursday the submission of the final charge sheet against a suspected Daesh recruiter by November 13.

The order came after the magistrate was informed that efforts were being made to obtain necessary details of the family of the suspect, Khalilur Rehman, from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has not yet succeeded in gathering the information in this regard, the court was further told.

The court however directed the investigation officer (IO) not to delay the submission of the final charge sheet and fixed November 13 as the date for the next hearing. Rehman, believed to be a recruiter for Islamic State, a militant group also known as Daesh, was arrested at the Karachi Cantonment railway station on September 28 this year.

Investigators allege his involvement in promoting Daesh ideology through a Facebook page asking people to join the militant group. The officials had found an identity card, two mobile phones and a memory card on his person. They also found an unlicensed 30-bore pistol with a magazine as well as seven printed and two Daesh flags from his handbag. The forensic analysis of Rehman’s mobile phones confirmed his involvement in running the Facebook account. The officials also found objectionable material and execution videos on the ID.

Rehman was suspected to be an active member of a group that is intentionally, through social media, involved in glorifying the activities of the proscribed Daesh and propagating the objectives of the militant organisation in Pakistan through instigating or motivating the public to join the group. He was booked under sections 9, 10© and 12 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, read with Section 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and sections 13, 20 and 60 of the Arms Ordinance. A case was registered against him at the FIA CTW police station.

He later appeared before a judicial magistrate, who granted his physical remand for interrogation and later sent to prison on judicial remand. The court heard that Rehman had come from Sukkur and was alleged to have worked as a Taliban supporter in the past. However, according to the accused, as the Taliban had deviated from their original cause, he preferred to work for the promotion of Daesh.