PESHAWAR: A local anti-terrorism court on Monday acquitted two suspected militants arrested by local police for possessing explosives and intending to carry out terrorist activities.

Judge Saleem Jan Khan pronounced the order observing that the prosecution didn’t prove charges against Naeemullah Khan and Niaz Mohammad, residents of Bajaur Agency and Peshawar, respectively.

The prosecution alleged that the accused were arrested by the police on Nov 6, 2014 in Achini area in the jurisdiction of Sarband police station, Peshawar.

It added that the police recovered six hand grenades during the body search of the two.

An FIR was registered against them by the counter terrorism department under Section 5 of Explosive Substance Act and Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act.

Shabir Hussain Gigyani, lawyer for the defence, said his clients were falsely implicated in the case and that the two were taken into custody by an intelligence agency few weeks before the registration of the case against them.

He said petitions were also filed before the Peshawar High Court against illegal detention of his clients and the court had issued noticed to the respondents, including the defence and interior ministries in the petitions.

The lawyer said after the issuance of notices by the court, his clients were handed over to the police and that the present case was registered against them.

He produced copies of the petitions and high court orders in this respect.

BAIL PLEA REJECTED: A single bench of the Peshawar High Court on Monday dismissed the bail petition of a man charged with carrying hand grenades.

Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, however, directed the relevant anti-terrorism court to conclude the trial within two months.

While rejecting the petition, the judge observed that the petitioner, Ali alias Sufian, did not deserve to be freed on bail.

The petitioner was allegedly arrested by officials of the Gulbahar police station near General Bus Stand in Peshawar on Dec 9, 2014.

The police alleged that he had tied hand grenades to his legs under trousers and wanted to use it for terrorism.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2015

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