Murtaza Bhutto

Question from Manzoor Bhutta, counsel for Dr Mazhar Memon: Can you
identify the two constables in the picture holding weapons in their hands
standing near the injured lying on the road were those constables sent by
Zardari? (Newsline magazine of October).
A: I could not identify the constables, but they were not sent by Zardari,
because being a SSP I must know if outer force is entering the area. The
injured lying on the ground is Dr Mazhar Memon and a dead body of an
unknown person. The two cops are holding SMGs. Maybe, my other officers
will be able to identify the two cops.
Q: Was any FIR lodged with any of the police station in your district against
six guards of Mir Murtaza regarding the bomb blasts?
A: There were two bomb blast incidents; initially they were blind FIR as at
that time the police were not aware of the names of the suspects.
Q: Was it a target-hitting or for search of the guards?
A: No, no, not for target hitting, but for search of the guards. Later, after the
examination and cross-examination of the SSP, the tribunal examined three
witnesses, ASI Zahiruddin who was in charge of APC (armoured personnel
carrier), who deposed that he was called from Garden police station on the
night of Sept 20 in an APC. He said he was called to the scene of the incident
about 9 pm and asked to report to the ASP of Darakshan. He said he reached
the area and heard senior officers of the police conversing on channel 6 and
after a while he was contacted by the ASP himself on radio.
The ASI, who is holding a master's degree in mass communication from
Karachi University, said he was told by the ASP on wireless that none of the
men inside the vehicle should come out of the APC and they should enter the
scene and see the police were not threatened. He should protect the police
from being attacked, and the APC men should only react only when police
were attacked. He was asked to go as near as possible at the scene. The ASI
said he was called to provide relief work, which was in progress and there
were two other APCs at the place. The APC men were ordered not to come
out of the vehicle and fire only in defence of the police from inside (the APC).
"I saw an injured or dead people inside and outside the cars, because of the
dim light I could not see whether one or more were injured or dead", he said.
Murtaza Bhutto; Copyright © www.bhutto.org
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