PESHAWAR, Dec 22: A local court on Thursday acquitted a British national, Zeeshan Siddiqui, in a case charging him with possessing forged Pakistani national identity card. The court presided over by judicial magistrate Mohsin Ali Turk announced that the prosecution could not prove its case against Mr Siddiqui.

Mr Siddiqui thanked the presiding officer after the order was announced. He said that the verdict had proved that he was innocent and had nothing to do with any militant organization.

The Peshawar district and sessions judge had ordered on Dec 3 to deport the defendant in a case concerning illegal entry and stay in Pakistan.

Mr Siddiqui has not been facing any other case and after arrangement of his travel documents and expenses he would be deported.

The defendant, Zeeshan Siddiqui, was arrested from Shabqadar area (Charssada district) on May 15 and was charged with possessing a fake Pakistani national identity card and illegal entry into Pakistan.

The Crimes Investigation Department (CID) had registered an FIR against Mr Siddiqui on May 18 for possessing the fake identity card. He had been charged under sections 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and for illegal stay he was charged under section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

The CID has claimed that after his arrest Mr Siddiqui introduced himself as Shehzad from Madina Colony, Hyderabad. Later, it was ascertained that the said identity was fake and in fact he was a British national possessing a fake Pakistani identity card carrying the name Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of Anis Siddiqui, present residence at Heston Town, Silver 2D Wolly, London.

Human rights activist Ms Mussarat Hilali appeared for the defence and contended that Mr Siddiqui was falsely implicated in the case.

She argued that no fake identity card was recovered from the defendant. She contended that the offence was non-cognizable and the CID had no powers to register the FIR.

Ms Hilali contended that the case was registered without any inquiry. She argued that under the law the investigation agency had to conduct an inquiry first and if the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) confirmed that the card was fake then they could register a case.

She pointed out that there were contradictions in the evidence recorded by different officials of the CID. “Their statement proved that the defendant was not arrested by the CID and, in fact, he was picked by an intelligence agency,” Ms Hilali added.

Mr Siddiqui had reportedly reached Lahore on Feb 17, 2003, through an Emirates Airlines flight. He claimed that he visited Pakistan for learning about Islam and had no links whatsoever with any terrorist outfit.

Various intelligence agencies had interrogated Mr Siddiqui after the July 7 London bombing, suspecting that he had met some suicide bombers in Pakistan.

He had denied the charge and said during the trial that he visited Pakistan for learning about Islam.

He alleged that he was severely tortured by an intelligence agency during custody.

Mr Siddiqui has been suffering from ophthalmological ailment and the court had ordered his treatment on Dec 3. However, he has still not been provided any treatment.