CTD makes 'progress' in probe of threat letter to judges

• CTD receives forensic report of handwriting in letters, sources.
• Dept sources say 'single mastermind' behind threatening letters.
• CTD 'very close' to find out where arsenic in letters was bought from.
  

ISLAMABAD: The mystery behind the threatening letters sent to judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts is close to being unravelled as the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is closing in on clues to the letter's scribe, sources told Geo News on Monday.

According to the sources, CTD has noted key developments in the investigation of the matter after the forensic report of the handwriting in the letters was received by them.

The sources added that the investigation department has matched the letters written to Supreme Court, Islamabad and Lahore High Courts judges.

As per the forensic reports, the letters to the judges of all three courts were written by the same person, the sources revealed.

Letters to all three courts, the sources added, sent by the name of Resham, Reshaman and Gulshad Khatun were written by the same person and were also sent through the same post office, according to the forensic report.

"There is a single mastermind behind sending threatening letters to judges," the sources within CTD told Geo News, adding that arsenic found in the letters to the judges was also bought by the same person.

The CTD sources revealed that the department is also very close to finding out where the arsenic was purchased from.

"Nadra identification process of CCTV videos obtained near post boxes continues," the sources added.

Several judges of the SC and high courts, including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, have continued to receive suspicious anthrax-laced letters since April 2, a day after the SC took suo motu notice over allegations of the Islamabad High Court’s chief justice and other judges against spy agencies.

The first set of letters was sent to the IHC, the recipients of which included the chief justice of the high court among eight judges of the court.

A police team comprising experts launched a thorough probe to collect facts and ascertain powdery substance after the eight IHC judges received “suspicious letters containing suspected anthrax powder along with a threatening message”.

The trend then continued with judges of the Lahore High Court and apex court, including CJP Isa, also receiving the threatening letters.

Following the episode, the government designated CTD to conduct an inquiry into the matter and find the culprit behind the threats being sent to judges.

In the wake of the threatening developments, the LHC administration devised new SOPs regarding letters being received in the name of jurists with all courier companies and postmen directed to get mandatory clearance of all genres of letters and posts from the security room.

A deputy superintendent police (DSP) ranked officer would then carry out a security checkup of the letters before being handed over to the relevant judges’ staff officer.