TTP terrorists’ case

It is ordered here to let go first timer: Justice Khosa

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court judge Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Wednesday observed that in the rest of the world the first mistake is termed the 'last mistake' but in Pakistan it is said that first-timer should be let go.

He explained that this culture is a licence for committing a second mistake. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of three convicted terrorists against their jail sentences. Three terrorists hailing from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been sentenced to 14 years each in jail after they were found in possession of explosives during a police operation in Peshawar.

Their appeals against the convictions were set aside by the high court after which they had moved the apex court. Hearing their appeals, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that the convicts' links with the terrorist outfit were proved, adding that he did not see technical faults in the case.

The court observed that they were caught red-handed with 840kg of explosive material and also opened fire at police during the raid. The counsel of the convicts informed the bench that one convict, Haji Habib, died in jail while the other is a minor and thus should be shown leniency.

When the convicts' counsel said that gunpowder and not explosives were recovered from his clients, Justice Khosa wondered if the counsel wanted that talcum powder should have been recovered from them. The other two convicts were identified as Asif Sheeraz and Niaz.