Investigators said Justice Maqbool Baqar, senior judge of the Sindh High Court (SHC) who escaped Wednesday’s bomb attack on Burnes Road, was on hit-list of banned jihadi outfits and suspected that it could be an act of sectarianism.
At least nine people, including policemen, Rangers soldier and a personal security guard and driver of Justice Baqar were killed and another dozen sustained injuries when a motorcycle planted with explosives was blown by a remote-controlled device near the convoy of SHC judge.
“Justice Baqar was on the hit-list of outlawed ‘jihadi’ organisations,” Crime Investigation Department (CID) Anti-Extremist Cell (AEC) chief SSP Chaudhry Aslam said. “Justice Baqar also served as special judge of an anti-terrorism court and convicted terrorists in various cases,” Aslam added.
“There was a possibility that he would be attacked by jihadi organisations for convicting their members,” Aslam suspected. “Apparently, a motorcycle which was parked outside a mosque was detonated through a remote control, but it would be confirmed once the investigations are completed,” he added.
“The pattern through which the attack was carried out suggest that jihadi organisations could be involved in this attack,” Aslam said, adding that activist of jihadi organisations who were arrested in the past disclosed similar types of attack during course of investigation.”
“Justice Baqar was attacked as he belongs to the Shia sect,” a Special Investigation Unit (SIU) official, who wished not to be named, told Pakistan Today. “The banned outfits that are involved in attacks on various Shia leaders and imambarghas are behind this attack,” he added.
“The intelligence agencies had warned of an attack on Justice Baqar, as he served as a special judge of country’s anti-terrorism court as well,” he said, adding that Justice Baqar, while hearing cases in anti-terrorism court, gave several decisions against jihadi and terrorist organisations.
“Sindh Inspector General (IG) Shahid Nadeem Baloch has formed a six-member team to investigate the attack on Justice Baqar,” a spokesman for Sindh Police said. “South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Aamir Sheikh would head the investigation team,” he added. “Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) has been asked to provide record of the motorcycle used in the attack, but the CPLC has no record of two-wheeler,” he added.
