RAWALPINDI: As many as 26 prisoners, nine of whom have links with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and six of whom were awarded the death sentence by the field general court martial in terrorism cases, were transferred from the Adiala Central Jail to various other prisons during the last 24 hours.

According to an official from the prison department, 10 condemned and convicted prisoners – nine with links to the TPP and one with links to the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba (SSP) – were shifted to Sahiwal jail amid tight security.

Qari Israr Ahmed, who belonged to the SSP, was arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on charges of delivering hate speech and was awarded five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) II judge Asif Majeed Awan on Mar 31, 2016. The appeal against the conviction is still pending before the Lahore High Court.

Prisoners include convicted terrorists on death row with links to TTP, SSP

Sabir s/o Zarwar, who was linked to the TTP, was sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by the ATC on Apr 19, 2016. He was arrested by the Rawalpindi CTD on Nov 5, 2015, for possessing explosives.

Qareebullah, who was also associated with the TTP, was sentenced to 25 years rigorous imprisonment by the field general court martial (FGCM) in Gilgit on Mar 16, 2016, for abetment in the killing of tourists in Gilgit. His appeal against the conviction is with General Headquarters (GHQ).

Habibur Rehman was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under the army act for abetment in the killing of tourists in Gilgit. He was sentenced on Mar 16 by the FGCM in Gilgit.

Rehmatullah, who was also linked to the TTP, was sentenced to death by the FGCM under the army act for attacking law enforcement officials and possessing arms and explosives. He was sentenced on May 6 and his appeal is with GHQ.

Mohammad Nabi (alias Qari Hasnain), Hameedullah and Maulvi Dir Bar Khan were awarded death sentences by the military courts on May 6 in Gilgit for attacking law enforcement officials and possessing arms and explosives in 2013. Their appeals have been with GHQ.

Mohammad Umar, who was associated with the TTP, was awarded the death sentence by the FGCM under the army act, for attacking law enforcement agencies and the armed forces of Pakistan. He was sentenced by the army court on May 7 in Attock. Irfanullah, a TTP member, was sentenced to death by the army court for killing tourists, causing the death of a person and possessing firearms. He was sentenced on Mar 16 in Gilgit, and his appeal is pending with GHQ.

Two condemned prisoners being housed at the Adiala jail were shifted to the Attock jail on Sunday, while 14 under-trial prisoners involved in various crimes – including murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and theft – were shifted to the Peshawar jail on administrative grounds, a jail official said.

On Jun 5, 2016, four prisoners who were sentenced to death by the military courts for their involvement in the killing of a senior superintendent of police and two army officers, were shifted to the Adiala jail from Gilgit.

The jail official said the four prisoners who were awarded death sentences the army court were involved in the killing of senior superintendent Diamir Mohammad Hilal Khan, Col Ghulam Mustafa Jamal and Capt Ashfaq Aziz on Aug 6, 2013 in the Chaias area of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The four convicted terrorists involved in their killings who were shifted to Adiala jail from Gilgit were Maulvi Dilbar Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Hameedullah and Rehmatullah.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2016