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Plane hijacking case PM House telephone operator records statement

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The sixteenth prosecution witness in the October 12 plane conspiracy case, Mohammed Asif, a telephone operator in Prime Minister's House Telephone Exchange, on Thursday recorded his statement before the Anti Terrorism Court Judge, Rehmat Hussain Jafferi.

Giving detail of the calls he connected from 4:30 p.m. onwards, he said the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, contacted ex-DG CAA Aminullah Chaudhry and ex-chairman of PIA several times. There were incoming calls as well.

He said at about 6:30 p.m. he came to know that the army had taken over the PM House. The army troops entered our rooms at about 7 to 7:30 p.m. They asked us to vacate the premises. Asif said that he left the PM House at about 10 p.m.

The prosecution witness who had recorded his statement on Wednesday, Commander Zahid Mehmood, director of protocol at the PM House, was crossed examined on Thursday. His cross-examination was completed by the defence team including advocates Kh. Sultan and Manzoor Malik.

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The prosecution was led by Barrister Zahoorul Haq and Advocate General Sindh (AGS) Raja Qureshi. The telephone operator Asif said that on the instruction of former prime minister he had connected several telephone calls with ex-DG Civil Aviation Authority, Chaudhry and ex-chairman PIA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on October 12.

"Prime Minister rang up from his family wing TV lounge and asked me to connect him to chairman PIA. I connected him to chairman PIA at Karachi. After two or three minutes he again asked me to connect him to DG CAA. Thereafter, PM told me to connect him with his wife at his residence in Lahore. I connected with Begum Sahiba", Asif said.

He said after that (former) principal secretary Saeed Mehdi who was present at TV lounge asked him (the witness) to connect him (Saeed Mehdi) to MD PTV. He said MD PTV was not present in his office and his operator told him that MD was in TV centre/

"After 2 to 3 minutes, I received a call from MD PTV which I connected to Saeed Mehdi in TV lounge," he added.

He said Shahbaz Sharif was present in his bed-room and asked him (the wintess) to connect him with his wife at Lahore.

"I connected the call. Thereafter Shahbaz Sharif told me to connect him with Ch. Nisar Ali Khan."

"His operator informed me that Ch. Nisar was not present in his house and a few minutes back had proceeded to PM House. Thereafter PM asked me to connect him to Syed Ghous Ali Shah in Karachi. Soon after Saeed Mehdi asked me to connect him to IG Sindh and told him that PM will talk to him. Syed Ghous Ali Shah was present in CM's House and I connected him with PM. IG was not at home", the witness said.

"Thereafter I received a call from Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. He wanted to speak to Shahbaz Sharif. Thereafter I came to know that Shahbaz Sharif was also present in TV lounge. I connected the telephone on the extension of TV lounge. Then I received calls from time to time from MD PTV, chairman PIA and DG CAA which I connected to TV lounge. The calls were attended by Saeed Mehdi, Shahbaz Sharif and Brig. Javed Iqbal and MS to PM.

"After 5 to 7 minutes I connected Saeed Mehdi with Secretary Defence. He was not present in his house. Thereafter Brig. Javed Iqbal asked me to connect him with Syed Ghous Ali Shah and Chairman PIA. I was told by the operator of Syed Ghous Ali Shah that he had gone to the airport and could be contacted on his mobile phone. When I tried on his mobile phone, it was off. Thereafter I received a call from an unknown person between 6:15 to 6:30 pm. He asked me whether TV Station and PM House have been taken over by the army. I informed him that it was not in my knowledge. At about 6:30 pm, the waiter came to my office and informed me that army had arrived in PM House. Before 7 pm some army officers and soldiers came in my office and asked me to sit on a side. At about 10: pm I went towards main house and came to know that army officers had taken alongwith them Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Saeed Mehdi, Senator Saifur Rehman, Mujeebur Rehman, Brig Javed Iqbal and Gen Ziauddin. I went to bed-room at about 2.45 in the morning and watched the speech of Gen Musharraf."

The cross examination of the witness was conducted by the defence team including Khawaja Sultan, Manzoor Malik.

The ATC-1 Judge on Thursday deferred the exemination-in-chief of Lt. Col. Atiquzzaman Kiyani, Protocol Officer 5 Corps and complainant in October 12 plane hijacking case.

The judge adjourned the hearing after Khawaja Sultan, counsel for the defence raised on objection that the entire statement of the complainant was based on hearsay.

Advocate General Sindh (AGS) Raja Qureshi requested the court to defer the matter for next week and allow prosecution to present other witnesses on Friday.

On another application by the defence counsel regarding alleged distortion of statement by a prosecution witness, Commander Zahid Mehmood (Retd), telecast by PTV in "Khabarnama" of February 9, the judge invited both defence counsel and prosecution to his chamber to decide the matter.

On this, the prosecution urged the defence team to provide the transcript of the said news bulletin.

The application was moved by Khawaja Naveed of defence team.

Advocate General Sindh Raja Qureshi said on Thursday that 32 Consul Generals of various countries had been invited to witness the proceeding of October 12 plane hijacking case against Nawaz Sharif and other accused.

He was addressing a press conference after the adjournment of court proceedings. Barrister Zahoorul Haq and other senior advocates of the prosecution side were also present on the occasion.

AG Sindh said so far 12 Consul Generals had visited the court to witness the fairness of the trial and expressed their satisfaction over the impartiality of the proceedings.

He said foreign media was also covering the event and prominent foreign journalists were present in the court.

Raja Qureshi said the prosecution had presented 16 witnesses so far while some more witnesses would be presented next week making a total of 24 to 25 witnesses.

To a question, he said that the judge had reserved the "examination-in-chief" till next week to decide the admissibility of witness Lt. Col. Attiquzzaman Kiyani, Protocol Officer 5 Corps and complainant in October 12 hijacking case.

He said the judge had agreed to the request of the prosecution to defer the matter till next week, while the presentation of other witnesses would continue as usual from Friday.

The Advocate General maintained the defence team was trying to delay the normal court proceedings by raising petty points but said the prosecution will try to foil such attempts and added he would present two more witnesses on Friday.

He said a total of 53 witnesses were named in the challan before one accused Aminullah Chaudhry ex-DG Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), turned approver, taking the total of witnesses to 54.

Replying to a question regarding the validity of witness in question and his FIR, Raja Qureshi said any person could lodge FIR about any event.

To another query, he said the prosecution had submitted an application before the Court for granting permission to call District Magistrate of Malir as witness. The Magistrate had granted pardon to the former DG CAA by accepting his request to become an approver in the case.

Regarding the application of defence counsel about the alleged distortion of witness's statement in Pakistan Television's News Bulletin, he said the prosecution had requested for the copy of the transcript of the said news bulletin.

Raja Qureshi said he has requested the Court to ask PTV to provide the copy of the said bulletin.