Security on high alert at courts

Published July 13, 2008

RAWALPINDI, July 12: Security remained on high alert at garrison areas in general and district courts in particular after a letter addressed to the sessions judge Islamabad some days ago threatened suicide attacks at the courts in the twin cities.

All the entry points, except two main gates, at the courts remained closed, and a complete search was carried out with metal detectors and sniff dogs before sitting of the judges. Only vehicles of the advocates were allowed entry on the court premises after identification of the lawyers, a police official told Dawn.

Number of litigants and attorneys at the courts remained thin because of the threat and the judges remained in their chambers instead of the court rooms most of the time on Saturday.

Accused declared JUVENILE: Medical examination of a boy allegedly involved in a kidnapping for ransom confirmed him a juvenile and the special judge anti-terrorism court put off the hearing of the case till July 26 after the lawyers of both sides did not appear in the court.

The medical report confirmed that Ahsanullah was 13-year-old that makes him fall in the category of juvenile offenders but no progress was made on his bail application because of absence of the lawyers.

The boy’s attorney earlier had told the court that his client was an under-age and asked for a separate trail for him.

According to police, Inayatullah, a resident of Pirwadhai, lodged a complaint with area police station on March 6 about the kidnapping of his five-year-old son Muhammad Umer and teenage Ahsanullah, who worked at his shop in the Saddar area. The kidnappers had demanded Rs6 million as ransom.

The police through the mobile found that Misal Khan and Ahsanullah, two brothers from Mardan, were in contact with the kidnappers.

Misal revealed during the investigations that he along with Rehem Nawab and Khan Nawab, real brothers, kidnapped Umer with the help of Ahsanullah.