ATA section added to murder case

KARACHI: Karachi police included section of Anti-terrorism Act (ATA) in murder case of brother of the main witness of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference of corruption, misuse of authority and illegal appointments in Karachi Ports Trust (KPT).

According to the police documents, Muhammed Arbab was murdered on May 5, 2019 in Sachal Goth area in early hours when two armed pillion riders fired at him eleven times. The case was earlier registered under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Anas Arbab, brother of deceased.

Anas Arbab is human resources manager of Karachi Ports Trust (KPT) and main prosecution witness of NAB reference ‘of corruption, misuse of authority and near 1000 illegal appointments in KPT’ filed against former ports and shipping minister and Mutihida Quomi Movement (MQM) leader Babar Ghauri and others.

In the same case Babar Ghauri is declared absconder while senior bureaucrats Javed Hanif (incumbent member of provincial assembly from MQM), Rauf Akhtar Farooqi and others are in custody.

SSP Malir Irfan Bahadur confirmed inclusion of ATA section in the case. He told The News that it appears to be a targeted killing incident but the aspect of sectarian killing also could not be ruled out.

He added that police are working on many aspects and will catch the killers soon and the investigators got ‘some clues’ about the possible motive of the murder.