POF bombing case: Would-be bomber’s appeal dismissed

Khan was arrested from outside the factory on August 20, 2008.

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by Hameedullah Khan, who was given death sentence on 69 counts for involvement in two suicide bomb blasts outside the Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) in Wah in 2008.

A division bench comprising of Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and Justice Shahid Mehmood Abbasi dismissed the appeal of Khan against his sentence given by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on January 29, 2011.

Khan filed an appeal from Adiala Jail against his conviction and his appeal was dismissed in 2011. The LHC’s judge who dismissed the appeal retired before he could note down the verdict.

In his appeal, Khan had stated that the trial court had not followed proper procedure before convicting him in the terrorism case.

Khan was arrested from outside the factory along with a suicide vest soon after two blasts killed 69 factory workers on August 20, 2008.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Advocate Basharatullah Khan, representing the accused, said he was busy in the Supreme Court on Monday when the LHC dismissed the appeal of his client.

He further explained that Khan filed a jail appeal that was dismissed in 2011. He said that when the LHC decided to hear his appeal again, Khan engaged him as his lawyer, Basharatullah said.

He said that Khan only had the option of filing an appeal in the SC against the decision of the LHC.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2016.