Interior ministry okays trial of two LeJ terrorists in military courts

On the request of Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the federal interior ministry has accorded approval to trying two terrorists of the banned outfit Laskhar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in military courts in 10 cases of terrorism, including attacks on military personnel.

Mohammad Ishaq alias Bobi and Mohammad Asim alias Ahmed alias Kapri were arrested by anti-terror cops last year. Talking to The News on Wednesday, Amir Farooqi, deputy inspector general of police (DIG) of the department, said CTD officials had busted the network of terrorists, including those belonging to the LeJ.

The two LeJ terrorists were involved in a number of acts of terrorism, including target killings and attacks on military officials in Karachi, he said, adding that the department
had planned to try the accused in military courts as their cases were high-profile.

He said that initially, CTD had submitted a report to the federal interior ministry and requested it through a letter to approve trials military courts.  The letter said the apex committee in its 20th meeting had approved 10 cases for trail in military courts, and FIRs were registered against the accused at Ittehad Town, Preedy, CTD Sindh and Shareefabad police stations, and six other FIRs were lodged at the CTD Sindh Police Station. 

The charges levelled under the Sindh Arms Act and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Court pertain to murders, attempts to murder and police encounters. The cases are with regard to the killing of four Rangers personnel in Ittehad Town, two military officials on Preedy Street and the murders of famous Qawwal Amjad Sabri and other citizens.

DIG Farooqi said that after receiving the letter, the interior ministry called CTD officials to Islamabad for a meeting and three to four meetings took place in this regard. Finally, on November 1, the ministry approved trials at military courts.

The military courts were set up after an amendment was made to the country’s constitution. The amendment states that an extraordinary situation and circumstances exist which demand special measures for speedy trial for certain offences related to terrorism, waging of war or insurrection against Pakistan and the prevention of acts threatening the security of Pakistan by terrorist groups using the name of religion or sect and also by members of armed groups, wings and militias.

The constitutional amendment further says that there exists a grave and unprecedented threat to the integrity of Pakistan and the objectives set out in the preamble to the
constitution by the framers of the constitution from terrorist groups by raising arms and through insurgency using the name of religion or sect, or from foreign and locally funded anti-state elements.

Officials said that after the constitutional amendment and establishment of the military courts, the law enforcers’ headquarters received directives to scrutinise terrorism cases. In Sindh, they said, initially the number of terrorism cases was 64 and they thought trails should take place at the military courts.

However, later, another amendment was made and the Sindh Police heads were directed to further scrutinise the list and check the nominated accused or terrorists who worked on a religious basis or out of sectarian hatred. The cases include the Nishtar Park bomb attack of 2007 and Safoora Goth bus attack in which 44 members of the Ismaili community were killed in May 2015.

Military courts have announced their judgments in the Safoora bus attack case and the convicts have filed review petitions in the apex court. Earlier, the other cases considered for trail at the military courts pertained to the attack on Justice Maqbool Baqar in 2013 in the Arambagh police remit and banned outfits, including the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jundullah.

One of the cases is related to former Jundullah chief Qasim Tori, who was arrested in the area of Shah Latif police in the year 2008 by a Special Investigation Unit team. During the raid that led to an encounter, DSP Asghar Dahri and Head Constable Raja Tariq were martyred.  Later, acting on information provided by Tori, police arrested its remaining associates.