Hamid Mir refuses to give statement to JIT

 

KARACHI: Senior journalist and Geo Television anchorperson Hamid Mir, who was critically injured in an armed attack on April 19 in Karachi, has refused to record his statement to a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) owing to the presence of an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) representative in the team.
The JIT, comprising representatives of seven major law-enforcement and intelligence agencies of the country, was formed by the Sindh Home Department to investigate the armed attack on senior Geo News anchorperson Hamid Mir.

Led by a senior SSP Investigation of the Karachi Police, the JIT includes representatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Field Security Wing of the Sindh Rangers, Crime Investigation Department of the police, and a representative of the armed forces.

Sources told The News on Wednesday that the JIT investigators on Wednesday visited the Aga Khan Hospital where Mir was undergoing treatment after he sustained multiple bullet wounds in the deadly attack and asked him to record his statement before the Joint Investigation Team.

The wounded journalist, however, refused to record his statement to the JIT on the plea that it included a representative from the ISI, and he was not comfortable with the presence of an ISI representative in the investigation team.

Sources said the JIT tried to persuade Hamid Mir to record his statement as the team was constituted by the provincial Home Department and his refusal to record the statement before the team amounts to challenging the constitution of the JIT. But they added that Hamid Mir insisted that unless the ISI representative was withdrawn from the team, he would not record his statement or cooperate with the JIT in its investigation.

Sources said Hamid Mir expressed no reservations on the presence of Military Intelligence representative in the JIT and said owing to his suspicion that some persons in the ISI might be behind the attack on him, he could not record his statement to the JIT due to the presence of the ISI representative in the team.

On the other hand, DIG East Karachi Munir Ahmed Shaikh told The News that the Karachi Police were also investigating the attack on Hamid Mir and had recorded the statement of Hamid Mir when he became able to talk to the police after his surgery.

He said the Karachi Police would continue its investigation irrespective of Hamid Mir’s non-cooperation with the JIT as it was the prime responsibility of the police to track down the culprits, who attacked him and produce them before the courts.

The Karachi official said Hamid Mir had not expressed any reservation about the Karachi Police and voluntarily recorded his statement to it, which had now become a part of the investigation and hoped that the police would soon be able to track the criminals behind the attack.He, however, refused to share any progress made by the police investigators in the case and said any breakthrough in the investigation would be shared with the people and the media after the police unearthed the whole conspiracy and reached the real culprits.

Hamid Mir attack: JIT to start working from today

ISLAMABAD: Seven-member joint interrogation team (JIT), constituted by Sindh government to investigate an assassination attempt on Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan’s best know journalists and Geo News anchor, will begin its work from today (Wednesday).

The team comprising members from the seven agencies has been authorized to interrogate any one relating to the case.

Geo News said members from the country's principal spy outfit the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Rangers SS Wing and CID branch of the Sindh police will probe the issue.

Sindh govt forms JIT to probe attack on Hamid Mir

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government has constituted a seven-member joint interrogation team (JIT) to investigate an assassination attempt on Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan’s best know journalists and Geo News anchor.

The team comprising members from the seven agencies will be authorized to interrogate any one relating to the case.

Geo News said members from the country's principal spy outfit the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Rangers SS Wing and CID branch of the Sindh police will probe the issue.

The team will start working from Wednesday.

SC directs Secretary Interior to constitute new JIT for inquiry of court tragedy

ISLAMABAD: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Tassadaqu Hussain Jillani directed Secretary Interior to constitute a new joint investigation team (JIT), headed by an independent and upright officer of Deputy Inspector General of Police for inquiry of Islamabad District Courts tragedy in which 11 persons were killed and 32 injured.
The bench also directed the Secretary to include representatives of the intelligence agencies with mandate to complete the inquiry within two weeks and submit report before the Supreme Court.
The bench of the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the reports submitted by the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad pointing out some contradictions between the two reports and directed the Secretary Interior to submit a detailed report in the court after covering all areas of the tragedy including the numbers of assailants.
The bench also stopped all the stakeholders to issue statements on the issue saying that it could cause confusion during the conduct of inquiry.
Rao Naveed Advocate who is also son of deceased Rao Rashid advocate who was killed by the assailants on March 3, 2014 appeared before the court and requested the bench to allow him for the registration of separate FIR and directions may please be issued.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Tassadaqu Hussain Jillani and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard the point of view of Rao Naveed in detail and observed that "No separate FIR can be registered." However, the bench directed the Inspector General of Police Islamabad Sikandar Hayat to allow every one for recording statement before the police regarding the incident.
Mohsan Akhtar Kiyani, President Islamabad High Court Bar Association apprised the bench about compensation being paid to deceased and injured saying that the government announced Rs. 500,000 for each deceased and Rs. 75,000 for each injured which is not proper compensation.
The bench directed Secretary Interior to enhance compensation for deceased and injured even government should also consider jobs for a son or daughter of every deceased.
However, the bench asked Chief Justice Islamabad High Court to continue inquiry being conducted through a judge of the Islamabad High Court with direction to submit the report as completed.
Inspector General of Police appeared before the court and apprised the bench about the progress of the inquiry being conducted by the police and said that statements of 154 witnesses have already been recorded. Statements of lawyers will be recorded without delay.
The Inspector General of Police also briefed the bench about security measures taken and being taken for the security of District Courts Islamabad.
To a question raised by the bench regarding number of assailants, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad apprised the court that inquiry is in progress and "No final figure has been determined so far".
Tariq Asad Advocate and Riaz Hanif Rahi advocate appeared before the court and requested the bench to entertain the petitions filed by them separately on the same issue.
The bench accepted the request and directed the office to fix their petitions along with the suo motu case in future.
On the request of Taufeeq Asif Advocate, the bench directed the office concerned to club the petition filed by lawyers of Rawalpindi regarding security of lawyers of the twin cities.
The hearing of the case was then adjourned for March 17 (Monday)