KARACHI, Dec 19: An additional district and sessions court was informed on Friday that Interpol had asked the interior ministry about necessary information for issuance of red warrants against four accused allegedly involved in a 1999 case relating to an attempt on the life of President Asif Ali Zardari, who was then in jail custody.
Former chairman of Ehtisab Bureau Saifur Rehman Khan, his brother Mujibur Rehman Khan, former Sindh police chief Rana Maqbool, former DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi and former SP of Karachi central prison Najaf Mirza are facing charges of unlawfully obtaining Mr Zardari’s physical custody from an anti-terrorism court on the night between May 15 and May 16, 1999, taking him to the CIA centre and torturing him to extract incriminatory statements. His tongue was slashed and he bled profusely, but the police refused to register an FIR against the then IG and covered up the incident as an attempt to commit suicide by the victim.
On Sept 30, the court had declared the accused persons proclaimed offenders and on Nov 27 it directed the interior ministry to issue red warrants against four of the five accused and execute them through Interpol and submit a compliance report on Dec 19.
When the hearing began on Friday, a DSP informed the court that the interior ministry had contacted Interpol and the issuance and execution of the warrants was in process. He sought more time upon which the judge came down hard on the interior ministry by observing that since Sept 30 the court had a number of times directed the ministry to submit the compliance report but it failed to comply with the court’s order.
However, the public prosecutor submitted that Interpol had asked the interior ministry to provide warrants, photographs, whereabouts and other information about the absconders. He requested the court to grant some more time since it was a lengthy process. He also produced in court a copy of Interpol’s requirements.
The additional district and sessions judge (south) directed the interior ministry to submit a complete report with regard to the issuance and execution of red warrants for the four accused through Interpol till Jan 17.
Meanwhile, the court also extended till Dec 22 pre-arrest bail of one of the accused Najaf Mirza. The defence counsel on Friday submitted a letter of jail authorities in court in support of his contention that his client was on leave when the incident took place.
Earlier, the accused had moved a bail application and the defence counsel in his arguments submitted that Mr Mirza was on leave when the incident took place and he was implicated in the case. Seeking supportive evidence to prove his plea, the special public prosecutor had submitted that the incident took place on Sunday and he would not oppose the bail plea if the applicant was on leave on that day.
The hearing on the bail application was adjourned till Dec 22.
Mazar rape case
An additional district and sessions court (east) on Friday adjourned till Jan 5 the hearing of a case pertaining to the gang-rape of an 18-year-old woman on the premises of Mazar-i-Quaid.
Earlier, the judge had issued a bailable warrant for the arrest of the victim, the complainant, and other prosecution witnesses for not appearing in court to record their testimonies.
The victim through an application informed the court that she was ill and unable to attend the proceeding and requested for adjournment.
The victim was subjected to sexual assault after being kidnapped on the premises of the Mazar by around five unidentified men on the night of March 15. She was found in an unstable condition outside the mausoleum on March 17, 2008.
On March 20, the police had arrested an assistant manager security of mausoleum for his alleged involvement in the case. Later, on April 24 an accountant and a personal assistant to the resident engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Management Board were arrested following the receipt of a DNA report that confirmed their involvement in the case. All the suspects were sent to prison.
The case (FIR 50/08) was registered at Brigade police station under Section 365/B of the Pakistan Penal Code (the section was inserted through the Protection of Women Act 2006) on the complaint of the victim’s father.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.