Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
ANTI-TERRORISM COURT IN KARACHI HAS RECORDED STATEMENTS OF THREE MORE PROSECUTION WITNESSES IN THE PLANE HIJACKING CONSPIRACY CASE.
Pakistan TV February 2, 2000
IN KARACHI TODAY THE ANTI TERRORISM COURT NO. ONE HEADED BY MR. REHMAT HUSAIN JAFFRY RESUMING THE PLANE HIJACKING CONSPIRACY CASE AND RECORDED STATEMENTS OF THREE MORE PROSECUTION WITNESSES NAMELY SYED AQEEL AHMAD, GENERAL MANAGER, AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES, MR. NADEEM AKBAR, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER AND CAPTAIN SHAHNAWAZ DARA, ACTING DIRECTOR FLIGHT OPERATIONS, KARACHI. THE WITNESS NO. SIX SYED AQEEL AHMED IN HIS STATEMENT SAID, ON 12TH OCTOBER, 1999 AT 6.20 PM THE THEN D.G. CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY AMEENULLAH CHOUDHARY, INSTRUCTED HIM THAT THE KARACHI AIRPORT BE CLOSED AND ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS BE HOLD OVER KARACHI, AND DOMESTIC FLIGHTS TO BE DIVERTED TO NAWABSHAH. THE WITNESS DEPOSED THAT AT 1829 HOURS THE KARACHI AIRPORT WAS CLOSED AND FLIGHT PK-805 CARRYING 198 PASSENGERS INCLUDING ARMY CHIEF WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LAND. LATER THE FLIGHT PK-805 WAS CLEARED TO PROCEED TO NAWABSHAH AIRPORT. AFTER 4 TO 5 MINUTES, WHEN PK-805 WAS ABOUT 50 MILES AWAY FROM KARACHI, THE CHIEF OPERATION OFFICER YOUSUF ABBAS, CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO RETURN TO KARACHI, WHICH LANDED AT 1949 HOURS. IN HIS STATEMENT THE PROSECUTION WITNESS NO. SEVEN NADEEM AKBAR SAID THAT ON 12TH OCTOBER, 1999 THE KARACHI AIR FIELD WAS CLOSED AT ABOUT 6.28 PM ON THE DIRECTIVES OF WING COMMANDER AHMED FAROOQ THE SECRETARY TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY AND THREE FIRE ENGINES WERE PUT ON RUNWAY TO BLOCK THE SAME. LIGHTS OF THE RUNWAY WERE ALSO SWITCHED OFF. THE WITNESS FURTHER SAID HE THOUGHT THAT SOME PLANE HAS BEEN HIJACKED WHICH IS NOT TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND. THE WITNESS ALSO SAID THAT THE PIA FLIGHT PK-805 COMING FROM COLOMBO HAD REACHED OVER KARACHI BY THAT TIME WHICH WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO SOME OTHER COUNTRY AS ALL AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN CLOSED. IN HIS STATEMENT THE PROSECUTION WITNESS NO.EIGHT CAPTAIN SHAHNAWAZ DARA DEPOSED THAT ON 12TH OCTOBER ON RECEIVING TELEPHONE CALL AT ABOUT 6.30 PM FROM THE THEN CHAIRMAN PIA SHAHID KHAQAAN ABBASI HE WENT TO HIS OFFICE WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT AS PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM MIAN NAWAZ SHARIF FLIGHT PK-805 IS NOT TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND AT KARACHI AND TO BE DIVERTED TO MUSCAT. THE WITNESS SAID THAT HE INFORMED MR. SHAHID KHAQAAN ABBASI THAT AS PER FUEL POLICY THE AIRCRAFT COULD GO ONLY TO NAWABSHAH. HE SAID THAT ON HIS ENQUIRY FROM PIA FLIGHT CONTROL HE WAS TOLD THAT PK-805 IS HOLDING OVER KARACHI AS AIR FIELD HAS BEEN CLOSED BY CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY. ALL THE ACCUSED MIAN NAWAZ SHARIF, MIAN SHAHBAZ SHARIF, SYED GHAUS ALI SHAH, SHAHID KHAQAAN ABBASI, SAIFUR REHMAN, SAEED MEHDI AND RANA MAQBOOL AHMAD WERE PRESENT IN THE COURT. THE COURT WILL NOW MEET TOMORROW.
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