KARACHI, Jan 21: An inquiry tribunal investigating the Oct 18 Karsaz blasts was told on Monday that the Special Branch did not install three walkthrough gates for security clearance at Terminal 1 on the instructions of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s chief security officer SSP Major (retd) Imtiaz Ahmed.
“Did you inform any of your superior officers that the three walk-through gates for security clearance of local and foreign newsmen were not installed at Terminal 1 as the venue was open?” the tribunal’s head Justice (retd) Dr Ghaus Mohammad asked Special Branch DSP Fateh Mohammad. The DSP replied that he had informed the SSP Security (SB), Shahab Mazhar Bhalli, over the telephone who directed him to act according to Maj (retd) Imtiaz’s instructions.
The SB was assigned to install three walk-through gates at Terminal 1 to screen representatives of the local and international media and no one from the public was allowed to have access to Terminal 1. But some 5,000 to 6,000 people broke all security cordons and entered the Terminal 1 premises.
The witness also told the tribunal that on Oct 18 his duty was at Terminal 1 of the Karachi airport and as per the security plan he was assigned to get clearance from Bomb Disposal Squad teams of a VIP float, Mehran Lounge and the apron area. In the morning, he said, SSP Maj (retd) Imtiaz reached the airport and as per his instruction he got security clearance of the places and the float.
He deposed that about 300 PPP volunteers accompanied the float, which reached the airport at about 11am on Oct 18. “I also requested Maj (retd) Imtiaz for clearance of about 300 volunteers of the PPP, who were accompanied by PPP leader Agha Siraj Durrani. Mr Durrani told me that they were their special volunteers and their clearance had been made by him,” he said.
“What are the duties of the Special Branch?” asked the tribunal, to which the DSP said that the branch was supposed to provide close protection to VVIPs at the airport and the same protection was given to Ms Bhutto.
VIP status
The tribunal asked the witness why the police were according VIP status to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and whether it was written anywhere that she would be treated as a VIP and not as a VVIP. “Did you give the VIP status to every Tom, Dick and Harry?…How could you assume that it was a VIP movement?” The witness said that according to the Blue Book, the VVIP status was accorded only to the head of the state and the prime minister, but later he had no option but to concede that he did not know on what basis the police treated the arrival and departure of former prime ministers as VIP movement and not VVIP movement.
“How could you allow about 300 PPP volunteers and 5,000 to 6,000 unauthorized people at the airport? Do you think your arrangement was appropriate? Would you allow such a large crowd on the arrival of the president or the prime minister?” the tribunal said, to which the DSP replied that no unauthorized person was allowed access inside Terminal 1.
Hearing this, Justice (retd) Dr Ghaus asked the witness as to how he had allowed three or four PPP leaders, including Dr Safdar Abbasi, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Agha Siraj Durrani, inside the airport. The DSP said he presumed them to be VIPs as Dr Abbasi, Dr Mirza and Mr Durrani were former lawmakers. Besides them, the DSP said, the Airport Security Force had allowed 10 to 15 other PPP leaders inside the Mehran Lounge.
Replying to another question, the DSP conceded that he did not submit any report about the presence of 5,000 to 6,000 unauthorized people, including about 300 party volunteers, at the airport.
Sniffer dogs
A Dawn reporter, Imran Ayub, also testified before the tribunal. The tribunal had summoned him to inquire about one of his investigative reports in which he had pointed out a serious lapse in the security arrangements for Ms Bhutto’s homecoming rally.
According to his report, sniffer dogs were not used to detect explosive material on the route of Ms Bhutto’s procession on Oct 18.
“Your report is raising a question as to why sniffer dogs were not used,” observed Justice (retd) Ghaus. Mr Ayub deposed that he collected information from officials of the bomb disposal squad and senior police and Rangers officials that sniffer dogs were much more effective than any conventional method of detecting explosives.
At this point the tribunal asked DSP Fateh Mohammad whether the police had sniffer dogs. The DSP replied in the negative. However, Mr Ayub said Rangers had sniffer dogs and they often used them for this purpose and on special occasions police also approached them for this facility.
Another witness, DSP Shaukat Khatiyan, deposed before the tribunal that as per security plan his duty was to guard the procession from the rear to disallow any person, vehicle, etc to enter or reach close to the main float carrying Ms Bhutto.
He said the float arrived at Terminal 1 at about 10.45am and it was surrounded by about 300 PPP volunteers, who were headed by party leaders Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Agha Siraj Durrani.
Answering another question, DSP Khatiyan said he had asked about the checking of the volunteers but the float commander, SP Javed Baloch, informed him that the PPP volunteers had been checked by their leader Dr Mirza.
The twin blasts
He said the first blast took place at about 12.15am and he was at a distance of 15 to 20 metres from his vehicle and minutes after there was another blast which was more powerful than the first one. He said he did not suffer any injury in the blasts.
He said he saw SP Pir Farid Jan Sarhandi reach the main float and subsequent evacuation of Ms Bhutto in a jeep.
He deposed that in the meantime, he was informed that one of his team members, Inspector Shahabuddin Khatiyan, also sustained injuries and was moved to hospital.
The DSP said he left the venue of the blast to find the inspector, who happened to be his relative. But when he reached the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, he was informed that the inspector had died. He said that at the funeral of the inspector, SSP Security Amin Yousufzai asked him about details of the twin blasts.
The DSP informed the tribunal that he did not notice the streetlights. However, he added that from the airport to Karsaz he had noticed that on most of the places streetlights were on.
Later, the tribunal adjourned the proceedings till Wednesday and also instructed Special Prosecutor Arshad Lodhi and his liaison officer SSP Niaz Khoso to summon PPP leaders Naheed Khan and Syed Qaim Ali Shah on a next date of hearing.
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