RAWALPINDI, June 2: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants of three persons for not appearing before it in a case challenging their acquittal in planning suicide attacks on district courts and offices of local administration.

Justice Syed Mazher Ali Akbar Naqvi of Rawalpindi bench was hearing the appeal of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against the three terror suspects' acquittal by a civil judge in 2009. They were charged with planning suicide attacks on district courts and offices of District Coordination Officer (DCO) and City Police Officer (CPO).

Despite several notices, the three men have not been appearing the court. On Thursday, the judge issued their arrest warrants.

Khurram Ishtiaq, a resident of Rawalpindi, Shamim Alam, a resident of South Waziristan, and Ghulam Mustafa, a resident of Kahuta, were arrested by FIA on August 24, 2008 from Misrial in Rawalpindi. The investigators had claimed that they had recovered suicide vests and other explosive materials form the accused and that they were on mission to strike in the city.

An anti-terrorism court dropped the charges against the accused in April 2009 and referred the case to a district and sessions judge in Rawalpindi. On May 19, 2009, the civil judge acquitted the suspects due to lack of evidence for the FIA's claim that the three had planned to bomb the offices of CPO and district courts in 2008.

On June 15, 2009, the FIA moved the LHC Rawalpindi Bench against the decision of lower courts. — A Reporter