Lack of evidence: Court lets TTP activist go free after interrogation
A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) activist was acquitted on Friday by an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) despite confessing to the Faisalabad police that he was involved in six bomb blast cases.
Qari Asmatullah allegedly involved in the 2009 suicide attack on a police check post at Babu Sabu and five other attacks in Lahore including the R A Bazaar and Liberty Chowk blasts, was allowed to go free, because the police failed to provide any incriminating evidence about his involvement in the attack.
While submitting a report to ATC Special Judge Abdul Rehman Khan, the Lahore police conceded that during the investigation they could not come up with any evidence which could prove Asmatullah’s hand in the suicide attack.
A member of the investigating team confirmed to The Express Tribune that after a 14-day physical remand of Asmatullah the Lahore police failed to prove any charges against him.
The acquittal came even though Asmatullah had confessed to his involvement in six bomb blasts, according to a member of the investigating team.
Asmatullah was accused of multiple offences, including those of being in possession of hand grenades, illegal weapons and of involvement in a police encounter. He has been detained under these charges in the Faisalabad jail since March 2012.
He was brought to the Punjab capital two weeks ago by the Lahore police, investigating high-profile cases of terrorism and kidnapping for ransom.
He was interrogated by the Lahore police about the Babu Sabu attack in which two suicide bombers blew themselves up leaving four civilians and three policemen injured.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2012.
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