Peshawar High Court. PHOTO: PPI
Police had put Muhammad Shafeeq behind bars for training and enabling suicide bomber Khair Muhammad to detonate his jacket at the mosque on February 13. The horrific attack led to 20 deaths and injuries to over 50 people.
Shafeeq recorded his statement with the police under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 [examination of witnesses by police]. During interrogation, the detainee confessed to his association with the outlawed Lashkar-e-Islam. He also admitted to helping the organisation financially and paying a sum of Rs25,000. The report added Khair was a relative of Shafeeq’s, whom he had sent to Afghanistan for training. Shafeeq further confessed the bomber was brainwashed and persuaded to carry out the devastating assault on the Shia mosque.
During the proceedings, Additional Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah told the court the police traced the suspect through forensic tests of the remains of Khair that were recovered from the site. “He admitted to his affiliation with LI and training Khair for the attack.”
Defending the accused, the counsel for Shafeeq said the police falsely implicated his client. “There is a contradiction in the statements of the prosecution’s witnesses.” He added some police reports state Shafeeq belongs to the LI while others associate him with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. “I request the court to release my client on bail.”
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court dismissed the bail petition.
Friday the 13th
While the country was still reeling from the barbaric Army Public School massacre, the Imamia Mosque was targeted in Hayatabad Phase-V. Videos of the horrific carnage were circulated, showing the assailants lobbing hand grenades at the structure before opening fire and carrying out the suicide bombing.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2015.
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