20000218

Nawabshah

was readied

to refuel

airbus:

airport manager

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Nawabshah Airport manager, Salman Akhtar told the Anti Terrorism Court on Thursday that he was directed by the secretary of the former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority to allow refueling of an airbus that might be diverted to Nawabshah, but no passenger should be allowed to disembark.

Salman Akhtar was recording his statement for the prosecution before ATC Judge Rehmat Hussain Jaffery, who is hearing the October 12 plane conspiracy case involving former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the main accused and six others. All the accused were present in the court.

The witness said that on October 12, 1999, at about 6:40 p.m., air traffic control (ATC) informed him that a Foker aircraft is diverting to Nawabshah from Karachi. After some more time, "ATC Nawabshah again informed me that two or three more Foker aircraft are diverting to Nawabshah because of the closure of the Karachi airport."

The witness said when he inquired from the ATC the reason for the closure of the Karachi airport, the ATC said the reasons for the closure were not being disclosed by Karachi.

Salman Akhtar said that after a short while, he received a phone call from Wing Commander Farooq who wanted to know about the refueling facilities for an airbus at the Nawabshah airport. I told Farooq that enough fuel is stored by Shell Pakistan Limited and they would able to refuel the airbus.

The witness said after a short while I again received a call from Wing Commander Farooq who told me that an aircraft was being diverted to Nawabshah. It may be refueled, but no passenger should be allowed to disembark. He did not tell me the nature of the emergency but instructed to remain available on phone.

The witness said while he was talking to ATC Nawabshah, at about 8:10 p.m., regarding parking of Boeing PK 737 Major Zahoor entered the control tower and said on telephone that he had taken over the airport. He too did not disclose the nature of emergency.

Salman Akhtar said he talked to DG CAA on his mobile phone and briefed him on the situation. "The DG instructed me to follow the army's orders."

The other witness, District Magistrate Malir, Younus Dagha, said he granted pardon to the former DG CAA, Ameenullah Chaudhry, after all the legal formalities were completed.

The PW said that he received the application of Ameenullah Chaudhary, seeking pardon, through superintendent District Jail Malir. Chaudhary wanted to have his statement recorded under Section 337 Cr. P.C. and become an approver in the case.

He said after recording his statement, which he gave voluntarily, "I issued pardon orders. Ameenullah was sent back to Central Prison as was required by law."

Prosecution witness Mohammed Mehboob Khan, the DSP, Airport, said that he arrested Shahbaz Sharif, Saifur Rehman and Saeed Mehdi from the office of National Accountability Bureau, Islamabad on November 24.

He said on the same day he had sought permission from the district magistrate, Islamabad, to shift the arrested persons to Karachi. The permission was granted. "I brought the accused to Karachi by an army plane on the morning of November 25 and handed them over to SHO Airport."

Khan said earlier in the morning of November 24, he had recorded, in Islamabad, statements of four witnesses: Maj. Tanveer, Brig. Javed Iqbal, Brig. Nadeen Taj, and Commander Zahid.

He said when he travelled from Karachi to Islamabad on November 23, DSP Imam Bux, SI Safdar and Constable Shahbaz accompanied him.

Khan said he also recorded , in Rawalpindi, the statement of Asif, the telephone operator in Prime Minister House.

The fourth prosecution witness to record his statement was Inspector Manzoor Ahmed, who was the shift in charge of the control room at the Central Police Office.

He said the former IGP Rana Maqbool had directed him to send messages to all the SSPs of Karachi to reach the Karachi airport along with their armoured personnel carriers. He said that he conveyed the IGP's message to all the SSPs through his assistants.

The court will meet again on Friday at 8 a.m.