LAHORE, Nov 29: The Punjab government has filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court, challenging acquittal of alleged mastermind of the GPO Chowk suicide blast.

The government has stated that concrete evidence was produced by the prosecution before the trial court which ignored it. It said the trial court also overlooked many laws in the order of acquittal.

It requested the court to accept the appeal and set aside the acquittal. An anti-terrorism court had acquitted Shahzad Ahmad, the alleged mastermind of the GPO Chowk blast which took place on Jan 10, 2008 minutes before a weekly protest rally of lawyers for the restoration of judiciary.

The alleged Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) member was arrested on April 26 the same year in Lahore.

Reply sought

The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a reply from the federal government on a writ petition challenging appointment of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority chairman.

A local lawyer moved the petition and contended that the government did not follow the due course for the appointment of PTA chairman.

He said the vacant post was neither advertised in the media nor other eligible candidates were invited for interview.

The petitioner said the government adopted a pick and choose policy and appointed Farooq Awan as the authority chairman.

He prayed to the court to declare the impugned appointment null and void and order the government to make fresh appointment on merit.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah adjourned hearing till Dec 17, and directed the government to file a reply to the petition.