| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| 2009 Ashura blast suspects still at large |
| 2014-11-05 |
| [DAWN] KARACHI: The files of the 2009 Ashura blast case have been gathering dust in an antiterrorism court for around four and a half years, as the law enforcement agencies are still unable to recapture three suspected Death Eaters said to be associated with Jundullah after their escape from the city courts in 2010. Murtaza alias Shakil, Saqib Farooqui, Wazir Mohammad and Murad Shah said to be associated with the banned holy warrior organization were enjugged Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! in January 2010 for their alleged involvement in four cases pertaining to the attacks on Muharram processions in December 2009, including a devastating kaboom that destroyed the main Ashura procession on M.A. Jinnah Road, killing more than 45 people. Three of the suspects got freed in June 2010 by their accomplices who attacked the city courts where they had been brought in connection with the hearing of a robbery case. One of the fleeing suspects, Murad Shah, was killed while a policeman also lost his life in the firing. After the escape, the antiterrorism court-III, where the four cases against them were pending trial, abated the legal proceedings in all the cases and issued life warrants for the arrest of the three suspects. The judge directed the police to arrest and produce them in court as soon as possible. But over four and a half years have passed, with the police, special investigation unit (SIU) and other law enforcement agencies still being clueless about the whereabouts of the three holy warriors. Strangely enough, the suspected holy warriors, who were high-profile hardened criminals associated with Jundullah according to the SIU, were not tried inside the jail. Police did not even make proper arrangements while taking them to the city courts. According to legal experts, an investigating officer sends a letter to the home department asking it to notify jail trial in high-profile cases though jail authorities can also make such recommendations if they find a suspect as hardened criminal by monitoring his activities on the jail premises or if they have insufficient security to take them to courts. They were arrested after a shootout on Hawkesbay Road on Jan 23, 2010, the police said, adding that they confessed to having carried out attacks on the Muharram processions. Their cases were sent to the ATC-III for trial after they were charge-sheeted under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and the court supplied copies of documents to them under Section 265-C of the criminal procedure code. However, some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them... they escaped before their indictment. Murtaza and Saqib were booked for their alleged involvement in the blast in the main procession of Ashura on Dec 28, 2009 that killed over 45 people and maimed about 100 others. Both were also charge-sheeted in the Paposh Nagar blast that targeted a Muharram procession on Dec 26, 2009 (8th of Muharram) and left 13 people maimed. Murad Shah along with his absconding accomplices Haider, Hasnain and Sajid was also charge-sheeted in a case pertaining to a low-intensity blast that targeted a procession in Qasba Colony on Dec 27, 2009 (9th of Muharram) and left 17 people maimed. |
| Posted by:Fred |