RAWALPINDI, May 24: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday decided to commence the jail trial of nine accused involved in attacking the convoy of former president Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf on Dec 12, 2003.

ATC Judge Shahid Rafique while hearing the application filed by an accused Adnan Rasheed for his acquittal adjourned the case till May 31 and also asked the Punjab Home Department to issue a notification for the jail trial of the other accused.

The other seven accused including Rashid Ali Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti, Ikhlas Ahmed, Zubair Ahmed, Rana Naveed, Amir Sohail and Naik Arshad Mehmood had been awarded death sentence from the military court on the sedition charges in the same case.

Adnan Rasheed, who was also convicted by the military court and awarded 10-year imprisonment, approached the court for his acquittal after completing his term in jail.

The prosecution, however, told the court that Adnan Rasheed and others were convicted in the sedition charges whereas all the accused had to face other charges of terrorism and killing of civilians in Dec 2003 attack.

The court observed that since the accused, after their conviction by the military court in a related matter, had become condemned prisoners, therefore, their trial could not be commenced in the open court. ATC judge directed the authorities concerned to arrange the transfer of the prisoners, who was currently in Faisalabad Jail, to Adiala Jail.

Advocate Colonel (retired) Inamur Rahim, counsel for another accused Rana Faqir, told the court that his client was innocent but the police had involved him in the said case.

He said after keeping 5 years in confinement police could not prove even a single allegation against him adding that the prosecution could also not produce even single evidence before the court.

So far, police could not submit challan against his client and the 48 witnesses, who were produced by the prosecution, could not link Rana Faqir with the offence, advocate Rahim said.