Possessing Weapons: ‘TTP militant’ sentenced to 21 years

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court sentenced on Tuesday an alleged Tehreek-e-Taliban militant to a collective 21 years in prison after convicting him of possessing an illicit weapon and explosives. Adnan alias Abu Hamza was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (now Counter Terrorism Department) in a raid conducted on a tip-off in Manghopir area in 2013. The law enforcers claimed seizing an unlicensed pistol and a hand grenade from him. A number of witnesses were summoned to the court to depose their testimonies and, after presiding over the trial for two years, the ATC-II judge handed down him the rigorous imprisonment as prosecution proved its case. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail for possessing explosives substances and seven years for possessing an illicit weapon. However, the judge observed that both the sentences will run concurrently: therefore, only the longest term will be counted as the total grilling time.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2015.