DAWN/The News International, KARACHI
14 March 1999, Sunday, 25 Ziqa'ad 1419
KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) MPAs has vehemently condemned Sindh police for denying involvement in the killing of the party's worker Jamil Ahmad.
In a statement on Saturday, they said Azizabad police had arrested Jamil on Feb 23, '99 from Khurshid Begum Memorial Hall, kept him in illegal confinement and got him admitted in Civil Hospital when he was about to die due to their brutal torture. They alleged that the govt, instead of holding an enquiry into Jamil's death, was denying involvement of police in the murder. They appealed the Chief of Army Staff, the President and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of Jamil's extra-judicial killing and order arrest of those involved in the crime.
Meanwhile, the MQM Coordination Committee demanded of the British govt to try Sharif family for raising property in Britain with ill-gotten money. It also condemned police excess in Hyderabad in a statement saying that the governor and police chief claimed to have curbed crime while police was itself committing and patronizing crime.
In yet another statement, MQM MNA Hasan Musana Alvi, referring to Sindh governor's statement about smuggling of Israeli arms in the country, said he should resign. He said the governor should ask the agencies and police to keep vigil over anti-state elements instead of using them in operation against the MQM.
Meanwhile, Senator Aftab Shaikh of Muttahida Qaumi Movement has condemned the cordoning off of MQM headquarters Nine-Zero by heavy contingents of police on Saturday. In a statement, he said that Qura'an Khwaani was being held at the Nine-Zero in connection with the Soyem of party activist Jamail Ahmed, killed in police custody, when the police and CIA personnel surrounded the party headquarters.
'Suddle, Wajid witnessed Murtaza's murder'KARACHI: Dr Shoaib Suddle, former DIG Karachi, Wajid Ali Durrani, former SSP South, and former SHO Khokhrapar Zeeshan Kazmi were standing in front of the DIG House when Mir Murtaza Bhutto was gunned down in an alleged encounter with the police.
This was stated by ex-police constable Ghulam Muhammad before the District and Sessions Judge West, Mrs Yasmeen Abbasi holding jail trial in the assassination of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Ashique Hussain Jatoi and six others.
Constable Ghulam Muhammad, who was performing guard duty with Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Chairman of PPP (SB), in his deposition as prosecution witness said that he was the first person to alight from the vehicle of Murtaza Bhutto just before the firing commenced.
"I was carrying an official G-3 rifle along with 150 live bullets and 5 magazines but I came out unarmed as it was standing instructions from Mir Murtaza Bhutto to leave the weapons in the vehicle, while alighting," he added.
Continuing his deposition, Ghulam Muhammad said, "when the convoy of Mir Murtaza was cautioned to stop by the ASP Rai Tahir and ASP Shahid Hayat, I saw DIG Suddle, SSP Durrani and SHO Zeeshan Kazmi standing next to an APC having all its doors opened."
Soon after fierce firing started, which even panicked him, he chose to flee the place, he said. "When I reached 70 Clifton, at 15 past midnight, I came to know about the death of Mir Murtaza, Ashique Jatoi and six other persons," Ghulam Muhammad said. He further said that after the death of SHO Haq Nawaz Sial in mysterious circumstances, he was so terrorised that he did not divulge details of the incident to any one. During cross-examination by Chaudhry Iftikhar, counsel for accused Wajid Durrani, Shahid Hayat and Rai Tahir, the witness said that he was sacked from the job after the incident and that he was informed of his termination by some Munshi (Clerk) of SSP Larkana.
The cross-examination of the accused was being conducted when the hearing was adjourned till March 20. The court directed the witness to bring his appointment order. Meanwhile, the court also granted two applications, moved by the Special Prosecutor M Ilyas Khan, requesting the court not to record statements of Ghinwa Bhutto and Abdul Rahim Jamali and to record evidence of Miss Fatima Bhutto later. The court also directed deputy director Intelligence Bureau and Section Officer of Sindh Chief Minister's House Ghulam Murtaza Jhakarani to attend the court on next date of hearing.
Ancholi remains tenseKARACHI: Following the assassination of two religious activists within the jurisdiction of Samanabad Police Station on Friday night, the entire locality of Ancholi remained tense on Saturday and presented a deserted look. The police, however, registered a case against unidentified gunmen in the double murder case.
Sources in Block 17, Federal B Area, told The News that unidentified gunmen killed two religious activists of Tablighi Jama'at -- Naveed and Kashif -- in their block while they were calling people to go to Namaz. Just after their murder, tension gripped the entire Ancholi, comprising Block 17, 19 and 20.
Residents came on to the roads and gathered at different spots. On receiving the information, mobile teams of law-enforcement agencies also reached the area to deal with any untoward situation. On Saturday, all shops, stores and markets of the area remained closed and the entire society was in a grip of tension. Heavy contingents of police and Rangers were patrolling the area.
Area residents told The News that deceased Naveed was a former activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Later, they said, when the party was divided in two groups, he joined the Haqiqi faction. Following the operation clean-up when the party came back to the area, he left his place for a long, they said. After that, Naveed also came back to his area and joined the Tablighi Jama'at, they added.
Youth, woman killed in road accidentsKARACHI: A woman and a youth were killed in road accidents on Saturday. An unknown woman in her mid-fifties fell victim to a hit-and-run incident in Gizri. She was crossing the road in Punjab Colony when he was hit by an unknown vehicle and died on the spot. The driver managed to flee from the scene. Police reached the spot when informed and shifted the corpse to JPMC. A teen-aged youth, Imran Raees, was killed in a traffic accident in Pirabad police limits. Sources said he was standing on the gate of the bus he was travelling and was seriously injured after being sandwiched between the vehicles when a truck suddenly hit the bus. He was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed but succumbed to the wounds on reaching the hospital. Drowned woman's body found: Corpse of a drowned middle-aged woman was recovered by Jackson police from waters. The police rushed to the scene when informed about a floating corpse near Native Jetty Bridge and shifted it to Civil Hospital. The doctors confirmed that the death was due to drowning.
Wedding party looted, 19 vehicles snatchedKARACHI: The residents of this metropolitan city lived another day in terror and mental agony as robbers and car snatchers played havoc with their lives. Robbers looted a wedding party at a local hotel, in Korangi police limits, while the guests were having tea. Four robbers made good with cash, jewellery and other valuables.
In another incident of lawlessness, bandits looted Raheel Medical Store in Bahadurabad and looted Rs 9000 from the cash till and also deprived customers of cash. In Gizri Police limits, dacoits barged into the residence of a glass owner, Abdul Rehman and looted $3,200 and Rs 72,000.
In other incidents robbers struck at Defence, Soldier Bazaar, Mominabad, Saddar and looted cash and jewellery. Car snatchers had once again a field day as 19 vehicles, car and motorbikes, were snatched from different areas.
Meanwhile, an under-custody accused Ismail Bader Uddin, arrested by the Shahrah-e-Faisal police few days ago in connection with the killing of Colonel Bilal, was seriously injured due to alleged police torture. Sources at the JPMC said that the accused was taken back to the police station after getting medical aid. No official source, however, confirmed the incident.
Fata elders threaten to restart opium cultivationSOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Elders from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have warned that if the government relieved fourteen hundred employees working on various tube wells installed in the area, then whole of the tribal belt would restart producing opium. In an emergency meeting, the elders said that they had come to know that Fata Development Corporation had decided to dismiss 1400 employees by April 1 and the tube wells would be handed over to the elders of Fata. "If the lot of Fata DC employees was dismissed, then their families would face hunger and the smooth working of the system of tube wells in the area receive a jolt," they said. Tribal leader Karamatullah Masud said that they had expectations from the government that it would make efforts for the uplift and betterment of the people of Fata but the government not only trying to take back the facilities it provided to the tribal people but also attempting to withdraw the facilities provided by the previous governments. He warned that if the government issued orders for the relieve of 1400 Fata DC employees then the tribal people would resort to start opium cultivation again and the six million tribal people would take to the streets. The meeting was attended by PML leader Sardar Ahmad Gul Masood, Karamatullah, Muhammad Hashim Khan, Sabeel Khan and other elders of the tribal belt.
MIANWALI: No woman allowed to cast vote in Paikhel