Karachi: The police force of the country’s largest city has been unable to put a single terrorist, it claims it arrested in different cases, behind bars after the courts found these suspects to be innocent civilians maligned by the police for their personal and professional gains, The News Tribe has learnt.
Since 2002, Karachi’s elite police have arrested a total of 113 suspected militants. Eighty-six of these arrests have been made year alone. Interestingly a majority of these prized catches were set free by the courts, because the police could not present enough evidence against them.
Former General Secretary Karachi Bar Association Naeem Qureshi said the outcome of these cases has become a pattern and blames the incompetence of the law enforcing agency for the results of these cases. He said departments such as the Crime Investigation Department are causing immense embarrassment to the country.
“It is widely believed that a majority of those arrested are innocent civilians, which is why the police always fails to deliver the evidence against them. These boys are simply made scapegoats, and such high-profile arrests cause immense embarrassment for the department and the country,” sources said.
Qureshi said even after being let off, these boys have no future left since society deems them to be a possible, future terrorist.
Several cases are on record where the police have picked up “genuine suspects” following a major attack in the city. The suicide car attack on the French engineers on May 8 2002, another attack on the American consulate in 2002, another similar attack in 2005 in which David Foy, an American diplomat, was killed in 2005, the Corps Commander attack on Clifton Bridge, the Rimpa Plaza massacre in Saddar, the attack on the American consulate, the subsequent arrest of the Waheed doctor brothers etc., are cases where common individuals were picked up as potential suspects, but subsequently released by the courts.
An interesting aspect of the case is that police officers who took credit for these arrests were awarded for their “bravery” through promotions and cash rewards. The police department and the government, who conferred these awards, have never bothered to hold these officers accountable after the courts’ verdicts.
Records of the anti-terror courts show that most of the people arrested by city’s police as terrorists, were apparently innocent. According to the data collected by this scribe from the offices of the anti-terror courts in Karachi, more than half of the suspected militant commanders arrested by the police were proven innocent or sentenced minor punishments.
So in-effectiveness is the police in Karachi that this year alone it has claimed the arrest of 58 Taliban commanders and five would-be suicide bombers. None have been produced before the courts, and are still under remand since they are still being investigated.
In the last 116 cases filed, 88 accused militants were proven innocent while rest of the cases are still undergoing trial.
Asif Zaheer, Rizwan Bashir and Adnan were arrested and accused of having a hand in the attack on the French Engineers. They were declared innocent by the Sindh High Court and released after the police failed to bring substantial evidence against them.
Usman Ghani and Anwarul Haq were arrested by police in the Marriott suicide attack. Ghani was released by the Sindh High court, while Haq’s appeal is still pending with the honourable court. Ghani was also released because of lack of evidence.
Five suspects were arrested by police in attack on Ali Raza Imam Bargah were realeased by the Sindh High court same as police arrested Imran, Hanif , Sharab, Mufti Zubair and an Inspector of Pakistan Rangers Waseem, allegedly involved in plainging to make an attack on ex president Pervaiz Musharaf, were released by Sindh High court because of non availability of evidences against them.
In another case, police arrested a student Aftab Nazeer of Jamia Banoria, allegedly involved in possible attack on Empress Market, was released by Sindh High court. The court made remarks in the decision that an action should be taken against the IG Sindh and SSP of Crime Investigation Department Fayaz Laghari as the arrested person was innocent student.
“Actually the Karachi police do not have the capacity to break the terror network,” A high official of Karachi police told The News Tribe on anonymity.
He, however, admitted Karachi provides manpower and financial resources to the militants.
“These boys were released after being proven innocent, because they never had a case against them. The lack of evidence excuse is evidence enough that police have a weak case because they pick the wrong boys,” said Farooq Advocate, who defended a number of such suspects
It may be recalled that Crime Investigation Department was established in 2002. SSP Fayaz Khan, SSP Raja Umer Khattab, SSP Mazhar Mashwani, SSP Chaudhry Aslam, SSP Rao Anwar, SP Zulfiqar Junajo and several others got promotions, medals and cash prizes as they had claimed arrest of high profile terrorists, sources said.
“These officers should be removed from their posts as they misguided the government and played with the future of youngsters”, farooq said.
If such police officials arrested “genuine” terrorists than why they could not provide evidence in front of the court, he said.
It seems that Karachi police has used to of this trend to arrest any citizen, made claim him a high profile terrorist to get advantages.
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