Attack on cricketers: LHC dismisses bail cancellation plea against 5 accused

Bench says no concrete evidence against accused.

LAHORE:

A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday dismissed the Punjab government’s appeal against the grant of bail to five men accused of involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March 2009.

The bench headed by Justice Rauf Ahmad Sheikh observed that the prosecution had no concrete evidence against the accused and the court could not issue any order against them on the basis of allegations.

During the course of the hearing, it was revealed that one of the accused released on bail was later again picked up by the intelligence agencies. At this the bench remarked that the disappearance of citizens at the hands of agencies must stop.

Expressing concern over deteriorating law and order, the bench remarked that the country was already on the verge of collapse and rotting bodies of missing persons were being recovered in Balochistan.

An anti terrorism court had granted bail to Ubaidur Rehman, Javed Anwar, Mohsin Rasheed, Ibrahim Khalil, Qari Ashfaq alias Mushtaq and Imanullah.

At previous hearings, Lahore police officials had informed the court that Imanullah had died in Afghanistan, while Qari Ashfaq was still missing.

The government in its appeal contended that the accused had been identified by witnesses and they had confessed under interrogation. A huge quantity of weapons and suicide jackets were recovered from them, but after getting bail they were not appearing before the trial court.

The government appeal said that the alleged terrorists had tarnished Pakistan’s image by attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team. It said the accused were misusing the concession of bail and it should be cancelled. The appeal stated that the relief of bail given to the accused sent the wrong message to the Sri Lankan cricket team and the rest of the world.

The SriLankan cricket team had been attacked on March 3, 2009 near Gaddafi Stadium. Eight Pakistanis - six policemen and two civilians - had been killed. Six members of the team had been injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2012.