KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday directed an investigating officer (IO) to complete the process of attachment of five properties that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed were purchased by Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour using his fake identities (before he was killed in a drone strike) and detected during the investigation of a terrorism financing and money laundering case in Karachi.

The FIA had booked Mullah Mansour alias Muhammad Wali alias Gul Muhammad, Akhtar Mohammad and Amaar in a case in 2019 under Section 11H (pertaining to fund raising and money laundering) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, read with Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On Thursday, the matter came up before the ATC-II judge for submission of a compliance report on completion of the process of attachment of the properties as ordered by the court on Jan 24.

The judge directed IO Rehmatullah Domki to complete the attachment process and submit a compliance report during the next hearing on Feb 26, according to the state prosecutor Ali Raza Abbasi.

Afghan Taliban leader had bought five properties under fake identity

On July 25, 2019, IO Domki had filed a final charge-sheet before the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts, mentioning that Mullah Mansour, successor of Mullah Omar as Taliban chief, was killed in a drone strike at the Pak-Iran border on May 21, 2016.

The charge-sheet said: “During the course of enquiry/investigation it transpired that accused Mullah Akhtar Mansour purchased following properties in the name of his spy identities viz Muhammad Wali and Gul Muhammad.”

It said a flat — B-16, Bismillah Terrace, Gulzar-i-Hijri, Scheme-33, Karachi — was purchased by Mullah Mansour against a payment of Rs1.4 million.

The charge-sheet said another flat — B-6-3, Ammar Tower, Shaeed-i-Millat Road, Karachi — was purchased by Mullah Mansour against the payment of Rs3,620,000 on July 19, 2011. Yet another flat — 801, Sumaya Residency, near Gulistan-i-Anees marriage hall, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Karachi — was purchased by Mullah Mansour against a payment of Rs17,300,000 on Sept 15, 2014.

It said plot number B-65, measuring 441.67 square yards, Sector-W, Sub-sector-III, Gulshan-i-Maymar, KDA Scheme-45, Karachi, was purchased by Mullah Mansour on Dec 1, 2009, against a payment of Rs5.4 million. This property was registered in the name of Gul Mohammad.

“According to sale/purchase deed ... made between the seller Arshad Mazhar and purchaser Gul Mohammad the value of said open plot was shown as Rs486,500 instead of actual value of Rs5.4 million,” the charge-sheet highlighted.

It further listed a house — A-56, Sector-Z, Sub-sector-V, Gulshan-i-Maymar, KDA Scheme-45, Karachi — which was purchased by Mullah Mansour against a payment of Rs4.7 million on Nov 29, 2007. This property was registered in the name of Gul Mohammad, who later transferred the ownership in the name of Akhtar Mohammad, another front-man of Mullah Mansour.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2020