Convicted militant acquitted of terror charges

PESHAWAR: Commissioner Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) on Monday acquitted a convicted militant of terrorism charges for lack of evidence as he had been charged with attacking forces.

FCR Commissioner, Shahab Ali Shah, set aside 42-year conviction of terror suspect Hazrat Bilal, a resident of the Shabqadar tehsil in the Charsadda district.

Muhammad Jamil Warsak, lawyer for the convict, told The News that Hazrat Bilal was first picked up by the law enforcement agencies in 2013 from Mohmand Agency for having links with a militant organization Jamaatul Ahrar.

In his arguments before the FCR Commissioner, he submitted that his appellant was awarded 42 years sentence by Mohmand Agency assistant political agent after 5 years of his missing.

He said that first official jirga members’ names were not on record who had recommended sentence to the appellant.

He said signature was taken from the appellant on plain paper as there was no evidence of 12 cases of terrorism against the convict.

He submitted that five other persons also charged with links with militant group were acquitted by additional district and sessions judge Shabqadar.

The lawyer stated that the assistant political agent (APA) had the powers to give maximum sentence up to 14 years.

He requested the court to set aside the conviction under FCR there was mere allegations against the convict.

The public prosecutor submitted that he was declared as black a hardcore militant by the JIT and had been found involved in 12 cases. He requested the court to dismiss the appeal against conviction.