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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan Makes Formal Arrest In Killing Of 11 French |
| 2002-12-29 |
| Source: Reuters Pakistani authorities formally arrested a detained Islamic militant on Saturday for a car bomb attack in May that killed 14 people including 11 French nationals, a police official said. Asif Zaheer, who was detained this month for allegedly planning an attack on U.S. diplomats in the southern port city of Karachi, had confessed to involvement in the May 8 bombing in the city centre, a senior police official said. "During the investigation he admitted his involvement in the Sheraton attack," said police official Farooq Awan, referring to the blast outside one of Karachi's main hotels. "We have arrested him for the killings of French nationals... He is the first person arrested for the French killings," he said. At the time, they were rounding up everyone in sight. Guess he was out of sight... An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Saturday remanded Zaheer in police custody until January 6, a court official said. The remand would give police more time to investigate and prepare an interim charge sheet, Habib Ahmed, assistant advocate general of the southern Sindh province, told reporters. Police surrounded the court when Zaheer, handcuffed and with his face covered, arrived in a van, witnesses said. "He shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest)," one witness said. An alternate translations seems to be "I dunnit and I'm glad!" Zaheer -- an activist of the Muslim Harkat-e-Jihad Islami group -- was detained on December 14 with two other people, Sohail Noor and Mohammad Yousuf. At the time, police seized a car packed with 10 kg of explosives, which they said was to be used in a suicide attack on U.S. diplomats in Karachi. Another police official, who asked not to be identified, said Zaheer had provided important clues about other suspects involved in the killing of foreigners in Pakistan. It was the pliers. If you really need to know, y'gotta use pliers... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |