LONDON, Feb 11: Faiz Baloch has been found not guilty in all the five counts he was charged with and, therefore, set free by the Crown Court while Hyarbyar Marri, son of Khair Bux Marri, has been found innocent in three of the five counts.

While both of them are no more under detention, in the case of Hyarbyar Marri the Crown prosecutor could proceed against him again if new evidence is found to institute a new case in a new Crown Court in the remaining two counts.

According to sources close to Hyarbyar, in one of these two counts in which no clear verdict could be obtained he was accused of possessing a CD which was sent to him by post by some unknown source which he had not yet opened. And in the second count some of his statements were published by newspapers in Balochistan.

The two were arrested on December 4, 2007, on charges of being involved in alleged terrorist activities in Balochistan and on suspicion of being members of the banned Baloch Liberation Army.

At the time of the arrest of the two Baloch leaders, the British media had speculated that they would be exchanged with Pakistan for Rashid Rauf, a British citizen and suspected terrorist wanted in the UK for being involved in the murder of his uncle. He is now being believed to have been killed in a recent US drone attack inside Pakistan’s tribal area.

Rashid Rauf was arrested in Pakistan on the suspicion of being involved in the abortive terrorist attack on cross Atlantic airlines earlier in 2007. However, within 15 days of the arrest of the two Baloch leaders Rashid Rauf escaped in broad daylight from the custody of Pakistan police.