Kanwal was released on bail from Adiala Jail on October 23. She was originally indicted by the police for assisting her husband in a terrorist act and obstructing the action of law enforcement groups during the incident.
PHOTO: MUDASSAR RAJA/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday again deferred its verdict in a case against Muhammad Sikandar, who was responsible for the infamous “Islamabad standoff.”
Clad in a crisp white shalwar kameez, the handcuffed accused swaggered into the courtroom to learn of his fate. But inside the courtroom of ATC judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi, which heard the case against Sikandar, his wife Kanwal, and his weapon supplier, he was only made to reply to questions from a court official.
“Where is your wife,” asked the court official while informing him that the judge was on leave and the verdict would probably be announced in the next hearing. “How would I know, I’m coming from jail,” he replied.
Sikandar’s next question revealed that the impatience and restless persona seen during covereage of the incident on August 15, 2013 had not waned.
“How long will you take to decide the case,” Sikandar asked the court officials. “Just end it now,” he said, in a weary tone.
“Soon it will be over,” the official told him while inserting September 9 as the next date of hearing.
The date for pronouncement of judgment has been set several times, but kept being deferred for an array of reasons.
Armed with two sub-machine guns and accompanied by his wife and two children, Sikandar had driven into the middle of Jinnah Avenue in the afternoon, where he fired at the police and started a surreal standoff in 2013.
He was arrested after a six-hour standoff but not before receiving bullet wounds from security personnel. He was taken into custody and hospitalised at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
On November 26, the Islamabad Police had submitted a charge sheet in the court against Sikandar, accusing him of putting innocent lives at risk and using children as human shields. He was also accused of unlawful use of weapons.
The suspects were indicted on January 8, 2014, where they had denied all allegations against them.
Kanwal was released on bail from Adiala Jail on October 23. She was originally indicted by the police for assisting her husband in a terrorist act and obstructing the action of law enforcement groups during the incident.
However, Kanwal’s lawyer had contested that she was a victim herself, used by her husband. After due proceedings, the Islamabad High Court had approved her bail application.
On February 4, 2016, the last witness had recorded his statement in the case.
The court has fixed September 9 for pronouncement of the judgment.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2016.
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