Imran Khan attack case: Investigators to take cue from alleged shooter's phone data

• 138 contacts, data of 1,869 calls found on accused's phone.
• Forensic report says deleted data could not be recovered.
• One Thailand-based, 2 local numbers termed key to investigation.

Investigators Saturday claimed that one Thailand-based and two local phone numbers pulled from Naveed Meher's mobile — the main suspect in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's Wazirabad assassination bid — might help give a direction to the probe.

Khan was shot in the leg on November 3 as he waved to crowds from a truck-mounted container while leading a protest march to Islamabad to pressure the government into announcing an early election — but it was cut short in Rawalpindi.

In the JIT report, the investigators mentioned that the experts who ran the forensic scans on the accused's handheld device also came across a strange contact name "Na Hai, Na Ho Ga, Na Rahe Ji".

According to the forensic report, the SIM cards of two mobile operators were recovered from the phone. The police techies were able to retrieve 138 phone numbers, data of 1,869 calls, 337 text messages, 1,956 photos, and 212 videos from Meher's phone. 

However, the authorities could not recover the deleted phone data. The forensic experts burnt all the data to a DVD and handed it over to the JIT.

PTI 'staged incident'

Naveed's lawyer Mian Dawood Advocate had earlier this week accused the PTI of staging the shooting to give their dying long march a new lease on life.

"The JIT (Joint Investigation Team) was changed on Imran Khan's wish," said Advocate Mian Dawood, the counsel of the accused Mohammad Naveed, addressing a press conference in Lahore.

"The JIT is not considering substantial evidence a part of the investigation; the JIT and Imran Khan conspired to spoil the case and are trying to tamper with the details of the case in the police diary," he added.

Dawood said there was no need to extend the accused's remand.

"Authorities are trying to force the accused to make a statement of their choice by making his mother sit in front of him in extremely cold weather."

Khan and PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry have claimed the investigation had proven that three assailants were involved in the assassination attempt on Imran Khan.

However, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah categorically rejected the claims, insisting that only one shooter — Naveed — a “religious fanatic”, was involved in the attempted assassination of PTI chief Khan.