ATC summons two IOs for failing to ensure witnesses’ appearance

An anti-terrorism court on Monday summoned two investigation officers over repeated absence of prosecution witnesses in two cases against alleged Islamic States militants.

Daesh-inspired suspects, Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin and Tahir Minhas alias Saeen, are standing trial for the murders of a K-Electric official and a policeman. They have already been sentenced to death by a military court for the murders of 43 Ismaili community members in a bus attack.

The ATC-17 judge expressed his displeasure after the police failed to produce witnesses against the accused in the court again. The hearing was scheduled to hear them but was adjourned.

The judge summoned in person the investigating officer and the prosecution witnesses in the murder case of K-E deputy managing director Farhan Khalil, who was killed on March 19, 2013.

According to the prosecution, the accused and their absconding accomplices had planted a magnetic bomb in the car of the KE official when he was going home from office. The bomb exploded in the North Nazimabad neighborhood. The judge directed the IO, Inspector Ghulam Rasool Magsi, to appear in person on November 4 and also produce witnesses for recording their evidence against the accused.

The FIR of the incident was lodged under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act at the Haideri Market police station.

Meanwhile, the judge issued a notice to Inspector Ali Haider Shah, who is the investigation officer in the murder case of Constable Waqar Hashmi. Hashmi, a member of the Rapid Response Force, was shot dead near Power Chowrangi in New Karachi on October 14, 2014.

The judge summoned Shah in person and directed him to bring along the prosecution witnesses on the same date. Previously, the court had issued a notice to the chief of the Counter Terrorism Department with directions to ensure appearance of the witnesses.