KARACHI: Police on Thursday filed an interim charge-sheet against five detained suspects and their10 absconding accomplices in an antiterrorism court in the Safoora Goth bus carnage case.

The investigation report said the suspects were affiliated with globallydeclared terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda and the self-styled Islamic State militant group.

Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin alias John, Tahir Hussain Minhas alias Sain, Asadur-Rehman alias Malik, Hafiz Nasir alias Yasir and Mohammad Azhar Ishrat alias Majid have been booked for their alleged involvement in the killing of 45 Shia Ismaili community members, including 18 women, in an armed attack on their bus near Safoora Goth on May 13.

DSP Mohammad Javed Khan submitte d the interim investigation report in the court through the prosecutor on Thursday.

In the report, he charge-sheeted Saad, Tahir and Asad for their direct involvement in the case and Nasir and Azhar for facilitating the deadly attack.

The IO also charge-sheeted absconding accused Hafiz Mohammad Umer alias Jawad, Ali Rehman alias Toona, Tayyab, Mehmood, Abdullah Mansoor,Mistari Pathan, Dawood, Abdullah Bin Yousuf alias Abdul Aziz and two unidentified Pakhtun men under Section 512 (record of evidence in absence of accused)of the criminalprocedurecode.

Around 10 gunmen riding four motorcycles had intercepted the bus and carried out the carnage while four to five men in a car were backing them up, it added.

Forty-five people were killed and eight others sustained wounds in the brutal attack, stated the investigation report, adding that blood samples collected from the bus, blood-stained mud and bloodstained clothes of the suspects were sent for a DNA analysis while fingerprints samples were also obtained for an examination.

FSL analysis The weapons allegedly recovered from the suspects were sent along with the spent bullet casings found at the crime scene for matching. As per a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report, the 9mm pistols of Saad and Tahir were used in the crime. Besides, another pistol recovered on a lead given by Tahir was used in the carnage by absconder Hafiz Umar, it added.

A digital video recorder (DVR), believed to have been dropped by thefleeing attackers and later handed over to the authorities by an administrative of ficer of a school situated near the crime scene, was also sent for an FSL analysis and then to Pakistan Television general manager to ascertain whether it was animated or without recording.

The investigation report said the reports of DNA and DVR were still awaited and would be submitted along with the final charge-sheet.

In the charge-sheet, the officer stated that five eyewitnesses/injured, including three women, had rightly picked out Saad and Tahir before a judicial magistrate during an identiHcation parade on July 10. Again on July 15, two more eyewitnesses also identified the same suspects along with Asad during another identification parade before a judicial magistrate.

On July 25, two other suspects were arrested in this case from prison, where they had been confined in some other cases, after a report prepared by a joint investigation team reported that they had allegedly facilitated the Safoora bus carnage.

The police report stated that Nasir and Azhar confessed to have provided accommodation, financial assistance and reconnaissance to the main suspects and disclosed their affiliation with the Islamic State.The report added that as per interrogation, investigation, the JIT report and other documentary record, all the suspects remained associated with Al-Qaeda and following its split they became part of one of the two IS-linked groups.

In view of their affiliation, the suspects have become a threat not only for the people but also for the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan, according to the report.

The IO placed 69 prosecution witnesses, including around 10 eyewitnesses, in the charge-sheet.

The counter-terrorism department of police claimed to have arrested Nasir and Azhar along with Saad and Tahir after a shootout in Gulshan-i-Maymar on May 20. They were booked in nine cases pertaining to police encounter, explosive substances and illicit weapons. The following day the suspects were produced before an ATC for remand in these cases.

The police, however, contended that the arrests were made for their alleged involvement in the Safoora Goth bus carnage case. Later, the police also linked another suspect Asad, who had been shown arrested in some other cases, with the main case.

The police showed the arrest of Saad, Tahir and Asad in the bus carnage case on June 12. The police did not book the other two suspects in the bus carnage case as the suspects had been given intotheir custody for a couple of weeks on physical remand in other cases.

The three suspects were remanded to prison by an ATC on July 16 on judicial remand in the main case. The IO was then asked to submit investigation report till July 27. The police finally moved ATC-II on July 24 seeking a no-objection certificare to arrest the two other suspects from prison for questioning in the main case.

According to the prosecution, around 55 people belonging to the Ismaili community and residents of the communitydeveloped residential project, Al-Azhar Garden, left their apartments in the bus for Ayesha Manzil where they worked.

The gunmen intercepted their vehicle near Safoora Goth just a couple of kilometres from their homes. They entered the bus and sprayed the passengers, including women, with bullets.

Other high-profile cases Saad and Tahir have also been booked in other high-profile cases including a bomb attack on a Bohra community mosque, the murder of Sabeen Mahmud, killing of some police of ficers and a naval official, attack on the life of American national Debra Lobo, grenade attacks at Islamic Research Centre Imambargah, Ayesha Manzil and at a private school in North Nazimabad.