PESHAWAR, Dec 5: A trial court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for five officials of the Crimes Investigation Department (CID) during the trial of a British national, Zeeshan Siddiqui. The court presided over by judicial magistrate, Mohsin Ali Turk, ordered that the five officers should be produced on Dec 7, the next date of hearing.

The officials — Sub-Inspector Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah and Sub-Inspector Quaid Kamal, Assistant Sub-Inspector Khitab Gul, head constable Umer Farooq and mohrar Sayyar Ahmad — are prosecution witnesses in the trial and during the last two hearings they failed to appear before the court.

The defendant, Zeeshan Siddiqui, was arrested from Shabqadar area (Charssada district) on May 15 and was charged with possessing a fake Pakistani national identity card and illegal entry into Pakistan.

The judicial magistrate has been conducting trial in the case of the fake identity card, whereas the case of illegal entry into Pakistan has been pending before the district and sessions judge.

Two days back, the district and sessions’ judge, Shahjehan Khan Akhundzada, had directed the magistrate to conclude the trial within a month.

Advocate Ms Mussarat Hilali appeared for the defence and contended that the prosecution had been using delaying tactics.

She stated that the witnesses did not turn up during the last hearing and on Monday they again failed to appear.

Ms Hilali contended that the defendant was innocent and falsely implicated in the case. She added that due to the same reason prosecution witnesses had not been appearing before the court.

She argued that if the prosecution continued to act in the same manner it would be difficult to conclude the trial within a month in accordance with the directives of the sessions’ judge.

The CID has registered an FIR against Mr Siddiqui on May 18. For possessing the fake identity card he has been charged under section 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and for illegal stay he has been charged under section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

Mr Siddiqui had reached Lahore on Feb 17, 2003, through an Emirates Airlines’ flight.

He said that he visited Pakistan for learning about Islam and had no links with any terrorist outfit.

The CID has claimed that after his arrest Mr Siddiqui introduced himself as Shehzad from Madina Colony, Hyderabad. Later it was ascertained that his identity was fake and, in fact, he was a British national possessing a fake Pakistani identity card carrying the name Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of Anis Siddiqui, present residence at Heston Town Silver 2D Wolly, London.