PESHAWAR, June 6: An anti-terrorism court here on Monday indicted Maulana Sufi Mohammad, chief of Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), in two cases of attack on a police station and conspiracy against the state registered over 16 years ago in Swat.

After reading out the charges to the octogenarian accused, the judge anti-terrorism court of Swat, Asim Imam, fixed the next hearing for June 20.

The trail of Maulana Sufi Mohammad in different cases of terrorism is being conducted inside the Peshawar Central Prison for security reasons.

Prosecution witnesses have been summoned to the next hearing. The court also fixed June 27 in five other cases against the Maulana and several other activists of TNSM.

The counsel of Maulana Sufi Mohammad pleaded not guilty to the charges and decided to stand trial.

One of the two cases was registered as FIR No.250 at Kabal police station in Swat in 1995 under section 122, 121, 121-A, 148, 149, 186, 324 and 353 of Pakistan Penal Code read with section 3 and 4 of Explosive Substance Act. In that case Maulana and some of his associates were charged with attacking the police station which had resulted in injuries to 13 policemen.

Similarly, in the other case registered at Khwaza Khela police station in 1995, Maulana Sufi Mohammad was charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy against the state. In that case he was charged under section 120-B PPC, section 16 of MPO and section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act.

Most of the cases against The TNSM chief were registered in 1994 onwards when the tehrik had stepped up its movement for the enforcement of Sharia in Malakand Division. During the same period, thousands of activists had blocked the Peshawar-Swat Highway at Malakand Top for several days.

Later, its armed supporters had occupied several government installations in Swat. To dislodge them from those installations, the then government of Pakistan People's Party had launched an operation.

One of the cases was registered at Mingora police station pertaining to the killing of an MPA of PPP, Badiuz Zaman, at a hotel in Swat allegedly by TNSM activists.