DAWN / NEWS International, Karachi 29 November 1998 Sunday 09 Shaban 1419 Another accused in Said's case dies in police custody KARACHI: Another man, arrested by the police in connection with Hakim Muhammad Said's assassination, died in police custody under mysterious circumstances on Saturday. The Saturday's victim was Mubbasshir Ali, a recruiting agent by profession, who was arrested by the Liaquatabad police on Saturday. Police said that he died in their custody at his offices in Ferozabad police limits. Sources from the East Police claimed that a team of Liaquatabad police, under the command of the DSP Liaquatabad, raided the residence of the deceased, situated in Akhter Colony Mehmoodabad police precincts of District South. During the initial interrogation, Mubbasshir allegedly disclosed that the accused Rehan and Masroor Iqbal -- nominated killers of Hakim Said by the police in the FIR -- contacted him and asked him to arrange their travel abroad. They also handed over their particulars and passports to him for necessary arrangements. He reportedly told the raiding team, that all the papers were at his office 'Khayyam Recruiting Company' situated in Khayyam Chambers in the Ferozabad police area. The team, on his disclosures, decided to take him to his offices to recover the papers of the alleged killers. On reaching there, police claimed, "the deceased suffered a cardiac arrest and died instantly." ---------------------------------- CIA raid house of another journalist KARACHI, Nov 28: The same CIA party that two days ago raided the house of a senior journalist and BBC correspondent, Idrees Bakhtiar, on Saturday morning raided the house of another journalist, Naseer Ahmad Saleemi, bureau chief of weekly magazine Zindagi On the directives of DSP Ghulam Subhani, the CIA party, headed by sub-inspector Rizwan Shah, with two police mobiles and an APC raided the house No-12 in Block-2 of PECHS 2.30am. The team first knocked at the door, and on refusal by the inmates they broke it open and entered the house. They started harassing the inmates and searched the house thoroughly. Mr Saleemi told them that he was a senior journalist but they refused to listen to him and used abusive language. They misbehaved even with the aged father of Mr Saleemi. Later, they took Mr Saleemi's brother, Bashir Ahmad Saleemi, with them and locked him in at the CIA Saddar centre. Later, he was released on the intervention of the DIG-Karachi, Farooq Amin Qureshi. The DSP claimed that the raid was conducted after a passport was seized from a terrorist which bore Mr Saleemi's address. - PPI ---------------------------------- Warrants against Altaf, others issued KARACHI: Additional District Judge West issued non-bailable arrest warrants for leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain and others on Saturday. The warrants have been issued in FIR No 125/95 of Orangi PS in the alleged offence of firing and killing Furqan and creating rioting in the area on May 22, 1995. MQM leaders Altaf Hussain, Shoaib Bukhari, Vakil Jamali, Sheikh Liaquat Hussain, Ajmal Dehlavi, Qamar Tadi and Khawaja Nadeem are charged under sections 147/148/ 149/302 and 307 of PPC. The court ordered the police to produce the accused before the court on Dec 22. ---------------------------------- Military courts to be set up in Malir Cantonment KARACHI: Ten military courts for the city will start their proceedings in Malir Cantonment in a couple of days. Sources told The News that the 10 courts would work for five districts of Karachi; two each for a district. These courts will function on a case-to-case basis, they said. The sources said the reason for setting up these courts in Malir was to avoid law and order situation in the city as well as to ensure their smooth proceedings. The sources made it clear that the military courts would take up the cases after the legal cell of the military courts sent the cases to them for trial. When asked if the common citizens be allowed to see the proceedings, the sources sad a decision in this regard would be announced very soon. Restricted entry would be allowed for security reasons, the sources maintained. Governor Sindh Lt General (retd) Moinuddin Haider has already sent 18 cases to be tried by the military courts out of the 29 cases submitted to him by the Inspector General of Police, Sindh. The sources said that 50 other cases were still in the pipeline for the approval of the governor, and they would be submitted to him in a couple of days. The sources said the governor had strictly directed that he would personally see the cases which were to be sent to the military courts. The sources said establishing military courts in Malir Cantonment area was a unanimous decision though some other places in the city were also examined for the purpose. Answering a question, the sources said two each military courts would be established in Hyderabad and Sukkur. When asked to name some of the important cases among the 18 cases sent for trial, the sources said one of them was the case of the killing of three brothers in Darakhshan during a dacoity and other cases of kidnapping and ransom in the city. ---------------------------------- Muttahida activists held in night-long raids KARACHI: The police and CIA teams arrested a large number of Muttahida Qaumi Movement activists from different parts of the city on Saturday during their ongoing crackdown on criminals involved in heinous crimes. All of them were shifted to unknown places while police also claimed to have recovered huge quantity of weapons. The police also raided the house of a newsman's brother. The CIA Saddar raided the residence of Bashir Salimi, brother of Nasir Salimi, the bureau chief of Weekly Zindagi. They took away Bashir and he was released only when the family and journalists contacted DIG Karachi. Police clarified that they had arrested Salim aka TT from PIB Colony and his passport carried Bashir's address which led to the raid. They did not know that the address was fake, they added. Salim is said to be allegedly involved in the killing of Maulana Salahuddin of Weekly Takbeer. The police, while acting on a tip about the presence of some accused wanted in Hakim Said's killing, raided a hideout near Sookha ground in Liaquatabad and came under fire. The accused managed to flee during the shoot-out while police recovered a repeater gun, two Kalashnikovs, a 7 mm rifle and four pistols. Police claimed the accused belonged to Muttahida. Muttahida activists Amir Raza and Mateen were arrested by Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police who also recovered two Kalashnikovs and two TT pistols. Steel Town police arrested Maqbool Barkat with TT, Nabi Bukhsh arrested Noor Muhammad with TT, Muhammad Fayaz was nabbed from Buffer Zone with TT, CIA Jamshed arrested Mehboob Alam from Gulistan-e-Jauhar with Kalashnikovs, Saeedabad police arrested Shoaib with TT, Fakhr was picked up from Nazimabad with TT, Haider Ali was arrested from Aziz Bhatti, Tanvir was arrested from Mominabad, Furqan was nabbed from Buffer Zone, Muhammad Ashraf was arrested from Korangi, Saud was picked up by Nabi Bukhsh police with TT, Mushtaq was arrested from Saudabad and Afzal was nabbed from Airport with TT. Muhammad Yamin was arrested from Burns Road by CIA police while going in a car. Police also raided some houses near Sabri Masjid in Ranchore Lane and arrested some youths. Korangi police arrested Nusrat, brother of Muttahida activist Asim, while Sohail, brother of Muttahida activist Imran was picked up from Korangi. All of them were shifted to unknown places. Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement alleged that the police, during their raids to arrest party activists, abused their families. The party claimed that hundreds of its workers were picked up by police and CIA staff. The Muttahida statement alleged: "Not only police ransacked the residences of our activists but on not find them at home also victimised their families. During the nightlong operations they arrested a large number of workers and shifted them to unknown places." ---------------------------------- Muttahida urges CJs to take notice of state operation KARACHI: The MQM Coordination Committee has appealed to the chief justices of Supreme Court and Sindh High Court to take notice of the state operation launched against the party workers and supporters. In a strong worded statement, the Mutttahida said that a three year old daughter of an MQM worker was victimised by the police. The MQM stated that the relatives and friends were being victimized if the wanted persons were not available at their houses. The MQM stated that these things can never crush MQM as such operations had been launched against MQM in the past. Meanwhile, Shaikh Liaquat Hussain, Haqparast parliamentary leader in the National Assembly vehemently criticised the statement of Federal Minister Raja Nadir Perwaiz, "wherein he hurled naked threats to senators to pass the Shariat Bill or else they will have to leave the country". Shaik Liaquat Hussain stated that this reflected fascist and dictatorial attitude of the present Muslim League government and even prime minister now stands fully exposed that even the lives of senators were in danger, because a similar threat was issued by him as well. Shaikh Liaquat Hussain has appealed to President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Mr. Justice Ajmal Mian to take serious notice of the threatening statements issued by federal minister against the elected members of the senate and ensure security of life to them. In the meantime, Shaikh Liaquat Hussain has also made fervent appeal to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court to take immediate action to save the life of Zaki-ur Rahman, Sector Incharge of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Sukkur, who was arrested by police at Jacobabad Railway Station. ---------------------------------- Pending summaries at CM House sent to Governor House KARACHI: Hundreds of summaries sent to the deposed Sindh chief minister Liaquat were returned by concerned officers from their respective departments to re-route them to Sindh Governor, Lt Gen (rtd) Moinuddin Haidar. It is worth mentioning that as a matter of routine 38 different departments send their summaries to Sindh Chief Secretary who later forwards them to the chief executive of the province. Well placed sources said these summaries included request for issuance of arms licenses for police guards for and for security purposes. Sources said summaries of 356 cases against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), pertaining to 'Withdrawal of Cases Committee', were not sent by officials of the CM House and were never placed before the deposed chief minister. Sources said in the circumstances after the governor's rule the summaries had to be changed before they were placed before the governor. ---------------------------------- 12 vehicles snatched KARACHI: In various holdups bandits looted cash, jewellery and other valuables while carjackers snatched 12 vehicles on Saturday. Barging into one Nadeem's house in Civil Lines police limits bandits took away Rs47,000; saving certificates worth Rs13,000 from Moosa Zaidi in Gizri; cash, jewellery and electrical appliances from Farhan's house in Gizri; cash, jewellery, prize bonds from Abdul Waheed Khan's house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal; cash, jewellery and valuables from MA Khan's house in Shah Faisal Colony; cash, jewellery and other valuables from Shamshad Khan's house in Buffer Zone; medicines worth Rs45,000 from Riaz's pickup and cans of ghee from Muhammad Yasin's hop in Liaquatabad; cash, jewellery and valuables from Ataullah Khan's house Pirabad and cash, jewellery and valuables from Azmat Shah's house in Orangi Town. Armed carjackers snatched and theft some 12 vehicles, including 6 motorbikes and 6 cars from different parts of the city. ---------------------------------- JHANG: Lawyer, son slain in Jhang JHANG, Nov 28: A local lawyer and his son were shot by two motorcyclists here on Saturday morning in an apparent sectarian strike. Syed Ansarul Hasan, a former Jhang Bar president, left his Satellite Town residence at 6.45 pm to drop his son, syed Intesarul Hasan, at the Chiniot Mor wagon stand. A chartered accountant in the Soneri Bank, Intesar travelled daily between Jhang and Faisalabad. They were hardly a few yards from their residence when two unknown motorcyclists sprayed a volley of bullets on their car, killing them on the spot. Deceased Ansarul Hasan was the cousin of a central TJP leader Syed Sanaul Haq Tirmzi. His father, Mir Akhlaqul Hassan, had been the Jhang Bar president for six years The local police immediately cordoned off all the city roads but could not find the killers. Both the father and son were laid to rest in a local graveyard in the evening. ---------------------------------- 730 get asylum in S Africa, Canada, Mozambique after governor's rule KARACHI: After the imposition of the governor's rule in Sindh, more than 730 people belonging to Karachi Division and other urban parts of Sindh were granted interim political asylum in two African and a North American country, an official inquiry sent to the Ministry of Interior by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated. Foreign missions of Pakistan in South Africa, Mozambique and Canada had recently been handed over the list of Pakistanis who had landed in these countries just few days after the imposition of the governor's rule in Sindh on October 31, sources in a secret agency, which had been assigned the task to scrutinise political affiliation and other activities of those who had left the country, told The News on Saturday. The sources said that Pakistani foreign missions were required by the governments to provide them political affiliation, record of their jobs in Pakistan and criminal record if any. The list of people who sought political asylum on the ground of victimisation in the wake of rendering an elected government non-functional by a presidential order, was subsequently sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad by the respective foreign missions. According to the list sent from South Africa, about 540 Pakistanis have been allowed political asylum there. Similarly, according to the lists sent from Canada and Mozambique, 150 and 25 Pakistanis have been extended temporary political asylum there. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had particularly asked the investigating agency to ascertain whether or not the people, who sought political asylum, belonged to the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM). However, the preliminary inquiry report submitted to the Ministry of Interior showed that not a single person who sought political asylum belonged to the MQM. Besides, neither of them had ever been involved in any criminal activity. The investigators, the sources said, were trying to find out the persons who signed the recommendation letters for providing visas and subsequently political asylum. ----------------------------------