PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court has granted bail to four suspects charged by the counter-terrorism department (CTD), Mardan, of possessing a huge quantity of explosive material, mortar shells, detonators, etc, which they allegedly intended to use for acts of terrorism.

The court directed that the four suspects named Kalimullah, Mohammad Israr, Mohammad Umar and Enayatullah, all residents of Bajaur Agency, should furnish two sureties each of Rs200,000.

The local police in Charsadda had claimed that they had received information about presence of terrorists in the area who were planning attack on polio vaccination team and personnel of law enforcing agencies. It was alleged that they had taken into custody the four suspects who pointed out that they had hidden ammunition and explosive material near Shabqadar.

The police claimed that they had recovered 40kg of explosive material, seven mortar shells, two improvise explosive devices, 10 hand grenades, 13 detonators and prima cord on pointation of the suspects.

An FIR was registered on Nov 23 against them at the CTD Mardan police station.

Advocates Shabir Hussain and Fida Hussain appeared for the suspects and contended that their clients were implicated in a concocted case.

They pointed out that they were taken into custody by security agencies many weeks before the alleged occurrence.

They contended that according to record of Bajaur Scouts one of the suspects was arrested in August and another one in October from Bajaur Agency. The two remaining suspects, they added, were also taken into custody from different places.

They stated the suspects were handed over to CTD when the intelligence agencies could not find anything objectionable against them. They added that the political tehsildar in Bajaur had also reported that the suspects were taken into custody in Bajaur Agency.

SENTENCE COMMUTED: The Fata Tribunal partially allowed a review petition filed by an inhabitant of Khyber Agency and reduced his prison term awarded to him by an assistant political agent from eight years to four years in a case of supporting militant outfits.

The tribunal comprising its chairman Sange Marjan Khan and members Hussainzada Khan and Atif Nazir ruled that the period of detention of the petitioner, Khanzeb, should be included in his prison term.

The petitioner was charged by the tribal administration under different sections of Pakistan Penal Code and Section 11 of FCR. The administration claimed that he was involved with militant organisations which were conspiring to attack armed forces.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2018