An antiterrorism court has declared 15 absconding suspects as proclaimed offenders for allegedly masterminding and facilitating an armed attack on the Chinese consulate general in Karachi. The Counter-Terrorism Department booked and arrested Mohammad Aslam, Ahmed Hasnain, Ali Ahmed alias Hashim, Nadir Khan alias Arif Buledi and Abdul Latif — all said to be associated with the banned separatist Baloch Liberation Army — for allegedly facilitating three heavily armed militants who were killed while attempting to enter the Chinese consulate general on Nov 23, 2018 in Clifton. It claimed that Harbiyar Marri, Aslam Baloch alias Achhu, Bashir Zaib, Noor Bux Mengal, Kareem Marri, ‘Captain’ Rehman Gul, commanders Nisar, Sheikhu, Gaindi, Sharif, Hamal, Munshi, Agha Sher Dil had ‘masterminded and facilitated’ the attack. The matter came up before the ATC-VII judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, when the investigating officer submitted a report regarding completion of the process of proclamation and attachment of properties of the absconding suspects, as required under sections 87 and 88 of the criminal procedure code. The judge issued perpetual warrants for their arrest and bifurcated their case from the held suspects. The court also ordered the authorities to forfeit their movable and immoveable properties. In a progress report, filed with the court in January 2019, the IO had stated that the militants stormed the consulate building and started firing and throwing hand-grenades and killing assistant sub-inspector Ashraf Dawood and police constable Mohammad Amir, who were posted at the first security checkpoint, while Mohammad Jumman, who was posted at the entrance to the visa section, was injured by their firing. The report added that the BLA was supported by the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing, RAW.
