ATC to indict suspects on Feb 15 in Justice Maqbool Baqar convoy attack case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday fixed February 15 to indict three suspects in the case of attack on Justice Maqbool Baqar’s convoy that killed nine people and injured 21 others at a busy intersection in Karachi on June 26, 2013.

The case had been referred back by a military court in November last year for trial under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The ATC-VI issued notices to the prosecution and defence to ensure presence on the next hearing so that the court could proceed with framing of the charges.

Three suspects said to be associated with the banned sectarian militant outfit Jundullah, Abu Bakr, alias Masoom Bala, Muhammad Muawia and Yasir Arafat, alias Musa, have been arrested for carrying out the attack.

Justice Baqar, who is now a Supreme Court judge, was then a judge at the Sindh High Court when his convoy was attacked on June 26, 2013 at a signal on Burnes Road when he was coming to the court in the morning.

A motorcycle-borne bomb exploded near his convoy that killed nine people, including the Rangers and police personnel and civilians.

The charge sheet against the suspects read that Abu Bakr was arrested in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on July 11, 2013. He told the interrogators that the mastermind of the attack was Hafiz Bashir Ahmed Laghari who was killed later in an encounter.

Abu Bakr disclosed that the attack was planned at Hafiz Bashir’s place and eight people including him were involved in it. The suspect was also presented before a judicial magistrate where he confessed to the crime.

The other suspects nominated in the case include Rizwan, alias Asif Chotu, Attaur Rehman, alias Naeem Bukhari, alias Bilal, Sajid and Qari Khalil. The court has declared them proclaimed offenders.