KARACHI: A suspect detained a couple of months ago has confessed to his involvement in planning the murder of director of the Orangi Pilot Project Perween Rehman, according to a supplementary charge-sheet filed in an antiterrorism court on Monday.

The suspect, Mohammad Imran Swati, allegedly belonging to the Awami National Party, also told interrogators during questioning that a member of the banned Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan along with his brother-in-law and others carried out the killing.

Ms Rehman was shot dead in a targeted attack on Manghopir Road in March 2013, according to the prosecution.

The suspect, Imran Swati, confessed that he was part of a meeting in which the murder was planned, stated the supplementary charge-sheet. He had joined the Awami National Party in 2010 and was an office-bearer of its Bokhari Colony ward.

Another suspect, Ahmed Khan alias Ahmed Ali alias Pappu Kashmiri, has already been charge-sheeted in the case.

The supplementary charge-sheet also named Rahim Surti, Ayaz Surti, Amjad Afridi and Shaldar Khan as absconding accused.

The ATC-H judge issued non-balla-ble warrants against the four absconders directing the police to arrest and produce them in court till Oct 30.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Pirabad police station.

Later, Section 7 of the AntiTerrorism Act, 1997 was incorporated in the case on a directive of the Supreme Court of Pakistan that also had ordered a judicial inquiry into the case by the judge of a district and sessions court.

According to a judicial inquiry report, which had been placed before the apex court in April last year, it was recommended that the murder be reinvestigated by an efficient, independent and honest police officer. The report expressed dissatisfaction over the police investigations stating that the investigators had not hesitated to manipulate key aspects of the probe.

The inquiry report said the story of the killing of Qari Bilal, the suspected murderer, in an encounter with police just a day after the OPP director`s murder didn`t inspire confidence.

PSO official`s remand extended in graft case A judicial magistrate on Monday extended the physical remand of an official of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in a graft case.The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the senior manager of the PSO and former managing director of the Asia Petroleum Limited (APL), Naved Alam Zubairi, from his office on Oct 20 for allegedly misappropriating funds during his tenure as MD of the APL, an associated company of the PSO with shareholding of 49 per cent. The following day he was remanded into the FIA custody.

FIA personnel reproduced the suspect before the court and the investigating officer (IO) sought extension in his custody for further questioning.

However, the defence counsel opposed it and asked the court to send him to prison.

Judicial Magistrate (south) Noor Mohammad Kalmati granted two-day extension in the physical remand of the suspect and asked the IO to produce him along with a progress report on the next hearing.

The FIA alleged that an internal audit report conducted by the PSO for the period from 2005 to 2009 said the suspect in connivance with the chief financial officer, APL, Mohammad Ali Baig, and contractors had embezzled funds. The former APL MD had not pursued a transparent tendering process for the selection of consultant, contractor and agreement of payment terms and approved 75 per cent advance payment, they added.