Pak gunman Sikandar booked under terrorism for capital stand-off

Islamabad: Pakistan on Saturday charged a man with act of terrorism for creating chaos in the Pakistani capital which lasted for several hours after he started firing near the parliament.

Sikandar Hayat has been charged with act of terrorism under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act and attempted murder under the Pakistan Penal Code among other charges, the Express Tribune reported.

Sikandar, who was carrying two locally made automatic weapons, fired in the air at short intervals after parking his black Toyota Corolla car at Jinnah Avenue near parliament. He had his wife and two children with him, using them as human shield against any police action. Sikandar’s wife has also being named in the FIR.

Sikandar was captured alive in an injured state, after police snipers shot him down following a botched attempt by Zamurd Khan of Pakistan People’s Party to tackle him on his own without approval.

The man, who belongs to Hafizabad area of Punjab province, made several demands, including the imposition of Shariah or Islamic law and removal of the government before his arrest.

He is now under treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, where authorities said his condition was critical but stable.

Sikandar’s wife Kanwal, who was also injured by a misfired bullet from his gun during the final showdown, said they had been in Islamabad for a couple of days and stayed at a hotel in Aabpara. She said her husband had been a serious drug addict up until 2009 but had later sought treatment for his addiction.

Senior Superintendent Police Muhammad Rizwan, who negotiated with Sikandar and Kanwal, told a private TV channel that police could not conduct a capture operation because people, who had gathered at Blue Area to watch the spectacle, and media crews refused to clear the area.

It took the police over three hours to establish a rope cordon some 100 feet on either side of Sikandar’s car. But the plan to avoid bloodshed were upstaged by Zamarud Khan, who broke the security parameter and approached Sikandar’s family.

Police recovered two rifles with 12 live rounds altogether from Sikandar. They also seized 69 live rounds from the car. It was unclear how Sikandar managed to bring the weapons and ammunition into Islamabad despite heavy security at checkpoints. Police are yet to record Sikandar’s statement.

He and his wife have also been booked on counts of wrongful restraint, criminal force to deter public servant(s) and rash driving.

Prime minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed anger over the handling of the stand-off and at the controversial remarks by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar at a press conference in which he had said that it was not security lapse. Nisar had later apologised to the Prime Minister, the report said.

PTI