September 27, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 26, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Sept 26: An anti terrorism court here on Friday allowed a stockist to reclaim a truck laden with commercial explosives against a surety of Rs200,000 and ordered the Taxila police SHO to hand over the vehicle to its owner. ATC No. I Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman issued the directives after accepting the petition of Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, who deals in dynamites and other commercial explosives.

In his submission, the petitioner maintained that unidentified persons hijacked his truck carrying 1,250kg explosives when it was moving towards Buner in NWFP on September 6 to deliver the material to Messrs Younas & Co.

When the stockist contacted the truck driver on his cellphone, a man said the vehicle would only be released after receiving of Rs5 million.

The petitioner said he lodged an FIR with the Taxila police who started a search. Afterwards, he negotiated with the hijackers and got his truck released by paying Rs400,000.

The petitioner stated that the explosive-laden truck had been parked in the Taxila police station and could cause any untoward incident, therefore it should be handed over to him as he had the license and the facilities to keep the explosives safely.

Separately, the judge reserved his decision on the application of a man, who is accused of making threatening calls to destroy the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters, and deferred the hearing till September 29.

Zeeshan Ahmed, the accused, had maintained in his petition under Section 23 of the Anti-terrorism Act that the charges of terrorism were not attracted in his case.

The counsel for Zeeshan has maintained in the petition that his client never created panic or caused terror threat, and the accusation that he made threatening calls to the FIA needed further inquiry.

He pleaded that the case against Zeeshan should be proceeded in a normal court.

The prosecution lawyer maintained that the calls caused alert in the FIA offices which were put on alert, especially in view of the threats and the recent attacks on the FIA offices in Lahore.

Zeeshan was arrested by the FIA from Dhoke Khaba in Rawalpindi in June this year for allegedly making threatening calls. He was traced through the mobile phone he used to make the call.

Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench has denied bail to the accused and directed the trail court to conclude the case with in four weeks.