KARACHI, Jan 24: An inquiry tribunal investigating the Oct 18 Karsaz blasts issued on Thursday a bailable warrant for the arrest of a Pakistan People’s Party worker who was driving the float carrying former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her homecoming on the fateful day.

At the end of Thursday’s proceedings, tribunal chief Justice (retd) Dr Ghaus Mohammad directed registrar Zahoor Ahmed Hakro to issue a bailable arrest warrant for the float driver, Abdul Ghani Baloch, for his failure to appear before the tribunal to record his statement despite the issuance of summons.

“Where is the float driver? Did you serve a notice on him?” the tribunal asked its liaison officer, SSP Niaz Ahmed Khoso, and special prosecutor Arshad Lodhi. Both of them confirmed that a notice had been served on him but the float driver did not turn up.

Justice Ghaus directed the registrar of the tribunal to issue a bailable warrant to the sum of Rs5,000 for the arrest of the float driver and observed that the tribunal had the authority to summon any witness.

The tribunal asked SSP Khoso to execute the warrant and ensure the appearance of the driver on the next date of hearing.

However, Mr Hakro told Dawn that the tribunal had decided to issue a show-cause notice to the float driver on his failure to comply with a notice served on him.

Earlier, the tribunal examined two witnesses – a sub-inspector of the bomb disposal squad and an Edhi volunteer – through special prosecutor Mr Lodhi.

SI Musaab Husain informed the tribunal that he was on duty at the rear of the procession when it started moving from Terminal 1.

He deposed that his job was to defuse any explosive material if found on the way. However, he conceded that he was not in touch with the BDS head, Inspector Mohammad Iqbal, who was heading a team in front of the procession.

The SI said he saw workers and supporters of the PPP trying to join the about 300 PPP volunteers guarding the float carrying Ms Bhutto. “I saw PPP volunteers and police personnel stopping the crowd from coming closer to the float. But this process continued till we reached Karsaz,” he added.

In response to a question, he said at the time of the explosion he was 200 yards away from the blast site and at that time the streetlights were on. After the blasts, he reached the site and assisted his superior officer.

He said the BDS had three Exfinder explosive detectors. However, he added, the head of his department had written letters to his high-ups that three detectors were not sufficient and more such equipment was needed.

The tribunal asked him how many detectors were needed for a city as big as Karachi, to which the SI replied that at least 15 more Exfinder explosive detectors were needed.

The witness told the tribunal that a suicide bomber could be detected only by physical checking and, to his knowledge, no electronic device had been invented to detect a suicide bomber in a crowd.

He said he got bomb disposal training at the National Police Academy, Islamabad, in 2006 from American experts. Regarding his department, he said the BDS had five mobiles and 45 trained personnel.

Meanwhile, Edhi ambulance driver Syed Qasim Hussain Rizvi testified before the tribunal that on Oct 18 he was on duty at the Edhi Centre on Tariq Road and reached the spot on hearing the news of the blasts.

He said the dead and the injured were lying on the road and he shifted (some of) them to the Liaquat National Hospital.

In reply to a question, he said when he reached Karsaz the streetlights were on.

He said that to his knowledge, a human head was picked up from the spot by some Edhi volunteers, who took it to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The driver said 10 Edhi ambulances were present on Sharea Faisal with police mobile vans at about 2pm.

Later, the tribunal adjourned its proceedings for Jan 26.