Sri Lankan team attack: Arrest warrants for 3 accused re-issued

A month after the last hearing, police still unable to arrest absconders.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday again issued arrest warrants for three absconders allegedly involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and directed the police to produce them before the court on February 1.

The court had issued orders for the arrest of the accused one month ago, but the police had failed to do so. They sought more time on Wednesday.

The LHC had on December 20 issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Qari Muhammad Mushtaq, Imanullah and Ubaidur Rehman and had ordered the capital city police officer to arrest and produce them in court.

Mohsin Rashid, Javed Anwar and Abdullah, also accused in the case, have been arrested and are being produced in court at every hearing.

The court is proceeding on a petition filed by the Punjab government seeking cancellation of bails earlier granted by the anti-terrorism courts to the six accused involved in the attack.

The government had submitted in its plea that all six accused were identified in an identification parade and that they had confessed their crime.

The government’s counsel said that weapons and suicide jackets were recovered from their (accused) possession.

The prosecution lawyers requested the court to cancel the bails.

They said that the accused were misusing the concession of a bail and it should be cancelled.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2012.