Karachi airport attack: CTD submits challan in court

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has submitted the final challan in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in connection with the Karachi airport suicide attack case.

On October 6, last year, two Chinese nationals were killed and several were injured in the attack that took near Karachi airport, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said.

According to challan submitted in the court, the masterminds of the attack, Commander Bashir Baloch alias Bashir Zaib and Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Gul, has been declared absconders.

The challan states that the suicide attack resulted in the deaths of two Chinese nationals and one local citizen, while six others, including a woman, sustained injuries.

Two accused, Javed and a woman named Gul Nisa, are in custody. Shah Fahad, who carried out the suicide bombing, was allegedly radicalized by Bashir Zaib and Rehman Gul.

The report further reveals that Javed conducted surveillance of the airport prior to the attack, while Gul Nisa helped transport an explosives-laden vehicle from Balochistan to Karachi.

Javed and his associate Siraj alias Danish were present at the site during the attack and fled afterwards. Despite several efforts, the CTD has so far failed to apprehend the absconding suspects.

The court has directed proceedings to begin for declaring them proclaimed offenders under Sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court has also summoned details of their assets.

Later, the further hearing was adjourned.