LHC dismisses Punjab appeals against accused acquittal

RAWALPINDI: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) at its Rawalpindi Bench on Friday upheld the decision of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) that had acquitted the accused allegedly involved in three high profile terrorism incidents i.e. attacks at the Hamza Camp of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), security check-post of GHQ and Kamra airbase.
An LHC division bench comprising Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed dismissed three appeals of the Punjab prosecution that it had filed against the acquittal of the accused in 2010. An ATC Rawalpindi in April 2010 acquitted Dr Niaz Ahmed, Mazharul Haq, Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Syed Abdul Saboor, Syed Abdul Majid, Syed Abdul Basit, Muhammad Amir, Said Arab, Tahseen Ullah and Gul Roze.
The LHC bench endorsed the ATC’s decision where the anti-terrorism court had acquitted these accused due to no substantial evidence.These appeals remained pending with the LHC for over four years and were fixed on Friday. The LHC bench at preliminary hearing of these appeals dismissed the cases.
Punjab prosecution had been contending that the ATC trial did not properly examine the evidence of either identification parade or testimonies of the prosecution witnesses.The Punjab prosecution had been requesting to the court to set aside the acquittals of the accused persons.
It may be reminded here that on November 24, 2007, an explosive-laden van had hit a bus at the gate of Hamza Camp near Faizabad and the other at the same time on the security post at the entrance of the GHQ. The third case is related to the attack on the Pakistan Air Force base at Kamra in January 2008.