ISLAMABAD: A seven-member committee constituted by the chief commissioner Islamabad has selected five cases for trial in military courts.

The committee, comprising the deputy commissioner Islamabad, representatives of intelligence agencies, senior police officers and the district attorney, was formed in January after the government decided to set up the military courts for the trial of terrorism cases.

The capital police had sent eight cases to the committee to examine and give recommendations whether to send them to the military courts or not.

The committee first selected six cases but later dropped one of them.

Of the five cases, the first related to an attack on the Nato terminal at Jeddah Town in the area of the Sihala police on October 4, 2010. Three people were killed and seven others injured in the incident.

The assassination of former minorities’ minister Shahbaz Bhatti on March 2, 2011, was also recommended for trial in the military court. The police have already arrested two men for their alleged involvement in the murder case.

Similarly, the assassination of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar was also recommended for trial in a military court. Mr Zulfiqar was shot dead at G-9 on May 3, 2013.

The case related to a suicide attack on Ali Masjid at Bhara Kahu on August 9, 2013, will also be sent to the military court. The police have arrested six alleged terrorists involved in the attack in which one person was killed and three others injured.

The fifth case is related to the attack on a police team during a raid on a house located in Sodhra in the limits of the Koral police on February 28, 2014. Seven suspects were arrested and hand grenades, explosives and weapons recovered from their possession during the raid.

The committee examined the August 16, 2013, hostage-like- situation at Jinnah Avenue when a gunman brought his family and engaged the law enforcement agencies for over six hours. However, it was not considered suitable for trial in the military court.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2015

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