More than eight years after the May 12 killings in Karachi in which 30 people lost their lives, the police and Rangers have not only failed to bring the culprits to justice, they have even released the suspects that they had previously arrested with much fanfare in connection with the killings.
The Rangers, having made a major breakthrough in the May 12 killings investigation, took a key suspect in custody on November 15, 2013.
A day after his arrest, the paramilitary, seeking a 90-day preventive detention for interrogation, informed administrative judge of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) that the suspect had been apprehended in a targeted raid on a tip-off.
The paramilitary force maintained that they had credible information regarding the suspect’s involvement in May 12 killings in addition to land grabbing and other activities proscribed under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The papers submitted to the court said that the suspect had been detained for three months under Section 11EEEE of the ATA.
Later, a joint interrogation team (JIT) was formed on request of the Rangers to investigate the suspect nominated in four out of five FIRs registered at the Airport police station in connection with the May 12 incident. Separately, the suspect was wanted by police in two other cases of targeted killings.
On completion of 90-day preventive detention, the federal force handed the accused over to Airport police. The police presented a challan in the court in which they stated that the suspect was involved in many incidents of firing across the city on May 12 and at least two incidents of targeted killings. The investigators claimed to have a video in which the suspect could be seen shooting at a rally organised to welcome former chief justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Karachi. However, despite all these claims, the suspect has been released from jail.
Muhammad Javed, alias Javed Mohajir, son of Muhammad Shariff, was picked up by Rangers in four cases of killing and arson on the arrival of former CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Karachi as well as two separate incidents of targeted killings and land grabbing.
Javed, who was serving as a security guard in the Karachi University (KU) at the time of his arrest, was taken into custody by the Rangers personnel from the jurisdiction of the Airport police station.
Javed, who is said to be the worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was probed by JIT during a 90-day preventive detention. He was nominated in a number of FIRs at the Airport police station in connection with incidents of arson and killings of a number of people at the Sharae Faisal.
Speaking to this scribe, the then Karachi East Investigation SSP Munir Sheikh said that a JIT had been formed to probe Javed in four cases of violence on May 12, and two cases of targeted killing and land grabbing. He said that the police would present a challan on the basis of JIT’s findings in the court of law.
However, Airport police station Head Mohrir Irfan Safdar told this scribe that the court had granted bail to Muhammad Javed in the above mentioned cases. He said that the police presented a challan on the basis of JIT’s report prepared during his 90-day preventive detention by the Rangers.
When Rangers higher-ups were approached for comments on the release of Muhammad Javed on bail even as Rangers and police claimed to have evidence of the suspects’ involvement in killings, violence and arson on May 12, they declined to comment. Sindh Rangers spokesman Major Sibtain, when asked for updates on this case, said that he could not recall who Muhammad Javed was.
To add insult to injury, the service of Muhammad Javed, who was performing duties as a security guard in KU at the time of his arrest, was restored immediately after his release even though he had been absent from his job for more than one and a half years. Earlier, the varsity had terminated Muhammad Javed’s service over ‘uninformed absence’. The varsity, after his comeback, not only released his full salaries, but also gave him a promotion and a transfer to KU laboratory.
KU security advisor at the time Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi had claimed that the varsity had not been informed about his arrest by the Rangers. He claimed that Javed was marked absent since November 16, 2013.
Following arrest of the varsity guard in terrorism-related cases, KU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser said that arrest of Muhammad Javed by Rangers had left him in a state of shock. KU VC claimed that he conducted an investigation of the varsity’s security affairs and had found out that the guards had been hired without verification from the law-enforcement-agencies. “It has now been made mandatory for the candidates seeking jobs in security department that they possess verification certificates with them,” he maintained.
“I received transfer letter of Muhammad Javed from higher-ups,” the VC said commenting on Javed’s transfer and promotion. KU Security Advisor Dr Muhammad Zubair said that his hands were tied in the matter. “I have all the details of Muhammad Javed and his case, but unfortunately, I never see him on the campus.”
