Charges framed against al-Qaeda linked dentist

Karachi

Charges of incitement of hatred and facilitating terrorism were framed in an anti-terrorism court on Monday against an alleged member of Al-Qaeda, Dr Usman, a dentist arrested in February.

According to the prosecution, Dr Usman used Al-Qaeda’s name to scare citizens and make them pay the demanded extortion amount. It was said he also preached and spread Al-Qaeda’s ideology with some accomplices and also worked as a financer for international terrorist organisations.

The police had claimed that Dr Usman, a dentist by profession, was arrested after an encounter on February 14. It was said the suspect also carried an unlicensed Kalashnikov and a motorcycle.

Two cases against the accused were registered at the Preedy police station, one for allegedly planning an attack on police officials and another for possession of illegal weapons.

Earlier, the Investigation Officer had requested the court to extend the physical remand of the accused since his further connections needed to be traced. However, the judge rejected the police request and sent Dr Usman to jail on judicial remand.

The final charge sheet against Dr Usman was filed on Monday before ATC Administrative Judge Justice Muhammad Farooq Shah, after the expiration of the remand period of the accused.

After the arrest was made, head of the Sindh Police’s Counter Terrorism Department, Raja Umer Khattab, had claimed that the suspect had known Saad Aziz, the key accused in Safoora Goth massacre case, but had not been directly involved in the attack.

According to Khattab, Dr Usman was an Al-Qaeda facilitator and had links with its representative in Punjab, Haris. The CTD incharge had said that Dr Usman also knew another Al-Qaeda Punjab member, Ali Rehman, who was missing.

More than 45 people had been brutally killed and many wounded when terrorists had boarded a bus carrying 60 members of Ismaili community in Safoora Goth on May 13 last year and began shooting them at close range.

Saad Aziz, alias Tin Tin, alias John, was said to be the master mind of Safoora Goth carnage and also of the murder of human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, and is being tried in the anti-terrorism court concerned.

Amir Khan

Meanwhile, the anti-terrorism court (II) heard the case pertaining to alleged provision of shelter to criminals against a senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader, Amir Khan, and expressed concern over the absence of Investigation Officer (IO).

The court lamented that the police report pertaining to the case could not be presented due to the absence of the IO during the hearing.

The court also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of five absconding co-accused, Minhaj Qazi, Imran Ejaz, Raees Mama, Shehzad Mullah and Naeem Mullah and ordered the police to present them at the next hearing.

Khan is on interim bail in cases pertaining to charges of alleged instigation of terrorism and provision of shelter to terrorists.

He was granted bail against a surety of Rs1 million and was made duty bound not to leave the country after obtaining due permission of the court.

The judge had observed that the accused was being granted bail on grounds of leniency stemming from the fact that the evidence produced against Khan was not very corroborated.

He had been arrested with dozens of other MQM workers when Rangers had raided party headquarters Nine Zero on March 11 last year.

After his arrest, Amir Khan was held under 90-day preventive detention by the Rangers who then handed him over to the Azizabad police station where a case was registered for alleged provision of shelter to criminals and harbouring criminals.