RAWALPINDI, May 12 A charge-sheet submitted by police in an anti-terrorism court says that a banned religious outfit assassinated former commander of Special Services Group Gen Aamir Faisal Alvi to avenge the role he played in the fight against militants in Fata.

According to the charge-sheet prepared by Islamabad's Koral police against Major (retd) Haroon Ashiq, a resident of Azad Kashmir; Mohammad Nawaz Khan, of Peshawar; and Ashfaq Ahmed, of Okara, the murder was ordered by Ilyas Kashmiri who provided funds and weapons.

ATC-II Judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahot was to formally indict the accused on Tuesday, but he adjourned the hearing till May 23 because of lawyers' strike.

During interrogation in a kidnapping for ransom case, the accused told police they had been ordered to kill Gen Alvi, who had spearheaded a commando operation against militants at Angor Adda in South Waziristan in 2004 when a large number of Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens, Afghans and local Taliban were killed.

The three were arrested by industrial area police for trying to kidnap a businessman.

Police said the alleged killers, who belonged to the banned Lashkar-i-Taiba, followed the general when he left his residence in Bharia Town on the day of the attack for his private office in Islamabad and killed him and his driver near PWD Colony.

Police said the accused were given money and weapons for the attack by Ilyas Kashmiri and Irfan, another man working for the militants.

The three men were also involved in many cases of murder and kidnapping for ransom.

In another development, the Lahore police obtained legal custody of Maj (retd) Haroon Ashiq and Mohammad Nawaz Khan to interrogate them in a case relating to the murder of Dr Abdul Saboor Malik of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, who was killed in Model Town on January 16 this year.