Delay in Executing Sentences of Safoora Goth Attack Convicts Raises Concerns

Raja Umer Khattab, the counterterrorism official who arrested the five convicts in the Safoora Goth bus attack, has expressed concern over the inordinate delay in executing their sentence. The attack, which occurred on May 13, 2015, resulted in the deaths of 47 members of the Shia Ismaili community, including 18 women, and wounding of six others. The five convicts, who were inspired by the militant Islamic State (IS) group, were sentenced to death by a military court in 2016. However, their appeals are still pending hearing before the high court, and 10 years after the attack, the case against them has yet to reach a logical conclusion.

Key Takeaways:

• The Safoora Goth bus attack on May 13, 2015, resulted in the deaths of 47 members of the Shia Ismaili community, including 18 women, and wounding of six others.
• The five convicts, Tahir alias Minhas alias Sain, Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin, Hafiz Nasir Ahmed, Mohammad Azhar Ishrat, and Asad Rehman, were inspired by the militant Islamic State (IS) group and involved in multiple incidents of targeted killings.
• The convicts were sentenced to death by a military court in 2016, but their appeals are still pending hearing before the high court, leading to a delay in executing their sentence.
• Raja Umer Khattab, the counterterrorism official who arrested the convicts, has expressed concern that the delay in executing their sentence could embolden other likeminded militant groups and pose a threat to society, witnesses, and the families of those who imprisoned them.
• The CTD official revealed that before the incident, terrorist groups had been under surveillance for years, during which several militants were arrested and valuable information was obtained from them.
• The intelligence gathered indicated that a local wing of Al Qaeda was operating in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, where young men were engaged in translation work for propaganda purposes and were also involved in the preparation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
• The CTD official also mentioned that the group was planning to attack some fashion designers in the metropolis but failed as they were caught by the CTD.

Statistics:

• 47 members of the Shia Ismaili community were killed in the Safoora Goth bus attack on May 13, 2015.
• 18 women were among the 47 people killed in the attack.
• Six others were wounded in the attack.
• 10 years have passed since the attack, and the case against the convicts is still pending.
• The five convicts were sentenced to death by a military court in 2016.
• The appeals of the convicts are still pending hearing before the high court.

Sources:

• Dawn
• Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD)
• Sindh High Court