QUETTA: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) here on Monday acquitted 15 accused in the Ziarat Residency terrorist attack case.

ATC judge Rahim Daad Khilji pronounced the verdict acquitting 15 of the 33 people nominated in the first information report (FIR) for lack of evidence against them.

Advocates Mumtaz, Shoukat Rakhshani and Jaffar Awan represented the accused.

Thirteen of the 15 acquitted persons were already on bail, while two were in prison.

Nawabzada Hairbyair Marri and 14 others are still at large

Nawabzada Hairbyair Marri and 14 other accused nominated in the FIR have not been arrested so far. They have yet to face trial.

On June 15, 2013, the historic Quaid-i-Azam Ziarat Residency was set alight in an arson attack by militants.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The then provincial government, headed by chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, rebuilt and restored the Ziarat Residency to its original shape. The rebuilt residency was inaugurated on Aug 14, 2014.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2019