PESHAWAR, Sep 16: The prosecution has decided to move a petition for cancellation of bail granted by a lower court to a British national, Zeeshan Siddiqui, suspected by intelligence agencies of being a link between the July 7 London bombing and the militant organisations.
An official of the district prosecution told this correspondent that the granting of bail to Mr Siddiqui by the judicial magistrate was unexpected for them.
“We are under immense pressure from the concerned quarters as they do not want Mr Siddiqui to be released from the prison,” said the official.
Legally Mr Siddiqui could not be kept in prison as he had not been charged in any other case by the government except that of possession of a fake national identity card, the official said.
The intelligence agencies, he added, believed that he had met some of the militants involved in the July 7 suicide bombings before he was arrested.
Judicial Magistrate Mohsin Ali Turk granted bail to Mr Siddiqui, imprisoned in the Peshawar central prison, in the case pertaining to possession of fake national identity card on Sept 10. He was arrested on May 17 from Shabqadar in Charsadda district.
Official sources said that a petition had been drafted by the prosecution and it would be moved before the Peshawar district and sessions judge on Saturday, requesting him to cancel the bail.
As Mr Siddiqui has yet not submitted two surety bonds of Rs50,000 each, a condition set by the magistrate for his release, he has to remain in the prison.
Meanwhile, the judicial magistrate on Friday fixed Sept 30 for framing of the charge against Mr Siddiqui.
He was produced before the court and informed that the charges would be framed against him for possessing fake identity card and illegal stay in Pakistan.
Mr Siddiqui requested the court to direct the officials of the Criminal Investigation Department, who had arrested him, to return the items and money seized from him.
The court observed that he had yet not moved any application in that regard and after receiving the application, appropriate order would be issued.
Advocate Mussarat Hilali appeared for the defendant and contended that the relevant documents should be provided to her so that she could properly defend her client.
Officials of different intelligence agencies were present in the courtroom during the proceedings and eager to know whether anybody was going to furnish surety bonds on his behalf.
The prosecution claimed that after his arrest, initially Mr Siddiqui introduced himself as Shehzad from Madina Colony, Hyderabad. Later on, it was ascertained that the said identity was fake and he was a British national, possessing a fake Pakistani identity card carrying the name Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of Anis Siddiqui.
An FIR was registered against him at the CID police station on May 18 under section 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 14 of the Foreigners Act of 1946. The PPC sections deal with forgery and impersonation.
The prosecution also charged him with not possessing any valid visit documents, including passport, which is a crime under the Foreigners Act.
