“Obaidullah Yousafzai had parked his car outside the parking lot, there are chances that the closed-circuit television camera might have caught any of the four suspects,” police said. – AP Photo
KARACHI: While investigation into the targeted killings of an Awami National Party leader and his colleague near the airport is under way, police officials are looking to the relevant authorities for the footage of a security camera that may help identify the assassins, it emerged on Friday.
The provincial security-in-charge of the ANP, Obaidullah Yousafzai, 52, and his colleague Saleem Akhtar — both employees of the Pakistan International Airlines — were shot dead on a road leading to the PIA cargo terminal on Aug 19.
The investigators said that unlike most other targeted killings in which armed men riding motorbikes carried out the attacks, the assassins in this case used a Cultus car instead of motorbikes to intercept the ANP leader and his colleague who were returning home from duty.
It seemed that the four attackers purposely opted for the car in view of the security concerns, as the area remained under the surveillance of the Airports Security Force, the officials said.
A senior police officer associated with the investigation of the case said that a security camera was installed at the parking lot of the cargo terminal where Mr Yousafzai used to park his car.
“On Aug 19, he had parked his car (W-0994) outside the parking lot yet there are chances that the closed-circuit television camera might have caught any of the four suspects,” he said.
The officer said that the footage might prove fruitful in the course of investigation. “We have already sent a formal request to the ASF authorities for the footage,” he said. However, he said, the investigators had not received the footage so far.
The police said that they were not solely relying on the footage during the course of investigation, but were also looking into the evidences collected from the crime-scene just after the targeted killings to prove the identity of the suspects.
It is worth noting here that a Loya Jirga member recently lodged the murder case (FIR 372/2010) at the Airport police station against Azhar Qureshi, Waqar Siddiqi, Javed alias Kala, Shahid alias London Wala — all stated to be workers of a political party — and their two unidentified accomplices under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The officer privy to the investigations said that police had collected a 9mm pistol magazine containing nine bullets from the crime-scene following the targeted killing.
He said that every magazine had an identification serial number embossed on it. “If it was purchased from the local market, its buyer can be tracked down,” the officer said. He explained that every arms dealer shop maintained a database of purchasers and arms or ammunition they bought.
“If the magazine has been purchased from the local market, the serial number embossed on the magazine is supposed to be noted down by the arms dealer along with the particulars of the purchaser.”
He said the investigators were in the process of verifying the particulars from different arms shops located in the city. “It is a time consuming process, but if we will be lucky enough there can be a breakthrough,” the officer remarked.
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