RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday acquitted for want of evidence former MNA Shah Abdul Aziz and another man of kidnapping and beheading a Polish geologist.

ATC-II Special Judge Raja Ikhlaq Ahmed absolved the former MNA, hailing from Karak and belonging to JUI-S, and Attaullah, of Kohat, of the charges of kidnapping Poitr Stanczak from Jand Attock and later beheading the foreign geologist.

The victim was working for a Polish seismic survey company in Basal area. He was kidnapped on Sept 28, 2008, and his guard, constable Mohammad Saleem, driver Inayatullah and assistant driver Mohammad Riaz were killed. In February last year, the kidnappers released a seven-minute video showing the beheading.

Mr Attaullah was arrested in Islamabad by Sabzi Mandi police on July 15 during a search operation and three grenades, a machine gun and 30 bullets were seized from him.

During interrogation, the accused “confessed” that he and his accomplices had kidnapped Mr Stanczak at the behest of Shah Abdul Aziz and taken the geologist to the tribal areas where he was killed after the authorities did not fulfil the ransom demand. Dawn

But talking to , Mr Attaullah's counsel Basharatullah Khan said the confessional statement was recorded in English, but the accused only spoke and understood Pashto and he did not know what had been written in the statement.

The former MNA's brother had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court in early 2009 for recovery of Mr Aziz, alleging that personnel of intelligence agencies had taken him away with his driver from the federal capital.

Public Prosecutor Malik Mohammad Asghar said the decision would be challenged in high court because the trial court had ignored some important facts.