June 29, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 24, 1429

RAWALPINDI, June 28: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday acquitted three persons in a case of terrorist attack on a mosque in Pirwadhai area in 2004 for want of evidence but awarded each of them two years imprisonment for absconding court proceedings.

ATC-I Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman acquitted Kalimullah Haider, Qari Nazakat and Arshad Satti of the charges of being involved in the terrorist attack on Shah-i-Najaf mosque in 2004. Six persons were killed and 21 others were injured in grenade and firing attack on the mosque.

These men were also acquitted in a police encounter case registered with Pirwadhai police as the prosecution could not establish their link with the case. They were also given two years imprisonment in this case for being absconders.

In 2006, the ATC-1 court sentenced six persons to death and one was given 10-year jail besides Rs50,000 as fine and three were acquitted in the Shah-i-Najaf case. Their trial was held in Adiala Jail.

Moreover, the ATC-I Judge put off the hearing in the application of Maulana Abdul Aziz former chief cleric Lal Masjid seeking removal of terrorism charges in 15 cases registered against him.

The accused has stated in his plea that 15 cases do not fall within the purview of section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and these cases should be referred to a normal court. On Saturday the prosecution lawyer was not present in the court and the judge put off the hearing till July 21.