Remand of three Safoora attack ‘financiers’ extended

Karachi
The physical remand of a former deputy director of the Fisherman Cooperative Society (FCS), his brother and a third accomplice was extended by a week by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday.
The three accused, Sultan Qamar Siddiqui, Hussain Umer Siddiqui and Muhammad Naeem Sajid, were previously handed over to police officials for two weeks, following the expiration of their preventive detention, after they were claimed to have confessed facilitating the Safoora bus attackers.
The remand was granted by ATC-I headed by judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso.
The attack, which claimed the lives of over 40 people belonging to the Ismaili community, according to investigations carried out by law enforcement agencies, had more than one financiers.
Another ‘key facilitator’ of the attack, Shabih Ahmed, is also on remand. He was arrested by officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) from his house in DHA, on September 16.
Five of the alleged attackers, namely Saad Aziz, Tahir Hussain Minhas, Asadur Rehman, Azhar Ishrat and Hafiz Nasir, are in the custody of the law enforcers, while 10 of their accomplices, Tayyab Masood, Ali-ur-Rehman and Umer are still absconding.
Complying with the home department’s request to hold trials in a court situated within the premises of the prison, since it was difficult to move the prisoners to and from the court due to chances of an attack, the hearing of the case would be conducted inside the central prison.

NBWs for DSP’s killers
An ATC issued 11 non-bailable arrest warrants (NBW) against absconding alleged murderers, also members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), of Deputy Superintendent Police of Jails Amanullah Khan Niazi and others in 2006.
The warrants were issued against Saeed alias Saeed Bharam, Naeem, Waseem, Abu Irfan alias Urfi, Noman alias Nomi, Zahid alias Zahid Kala, Farhan alias Farhan Kala, Jamal Pasra, Hashim, Javed Hassan and Aneesur Rehman alias Ali. The arrest notices were declared valid till all the absconders were in the custody of law enforcers.
Three of the accused, Ubaidur Rehman alias Ubaid K2, Tanveer Chand and Sajjad, were already under detention and being tried in ATC-II where the charges against them were framed on October 1; however, the accused pleaded not guilty. The hearings are being conducted inside the prison premises.
Ubaid K2 was arrested on March 11 at the MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, and allegedly confessed to killing the DSP for denying facilities to Saulat Mirza, Saeed alias Saeed Bharam and Nadir Shah while they were in the central prison.
Niazi, his driver Akhter Hassan, and policemen Shafiullah, Muhammad Azeem and Sabir Sultan were killed in an attack on a police mobile in the Garden area on June 15, 2006.
Mirza was hanged this year for the murder of a managing director of the then Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, Shahid Hamid, and his driver.
Ubaid K2 was also said to have told the investigators that the plan to kill Niazi was made after the release of Saeed Bharam from prison.

Taliban commander
An alleged leader of the Taliban, Sajid Hussain, was handed over to Rangers for a 90-day detention. He was arrested by the paramilitary force from Lyari a day earlier.
A law officer of the Rangers informed the court that he was associated with a banned terrorist outfit and also involved in terrorist activities and other heinous crimes.
The court was presented with an apprehension order issued under Section 11-EEEE for detaining the accused for 90 days. The court placed the order on record and endorsed the action of the Rangers.