Lakhvi was granted bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government’s order to detain him under the Maintenance of Public Order law. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has dropped charges against a suspect in the Mumbai attack case after failing to find any incriminating evidence. The FIA submitted a charge sheet before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) and placed the suspect, Sufiyan Zafar, in the second column of the charge sheet, which means no evidence was found against him.
According to the prosecution, Zafar had reportedly provided financial assistance to the other suspects. In the charge sheet, the FIA revealed that Zafar had transferred Rs14,000 into a suspect’s account. During the course of investigation, the investigators said it had emerged that Zafar had lent the money to the other suspects without asking why they needed it.
Earlier, ATC-II judge Sohail Ikram had allowed the FIA’s application requesting the court to exhibit a boat as evidence as it was allegedly used for carrying the assailants to the open seas of Pakistan and India and ultimately led to the attack in Mumbai.
Ex-ISI chief admitted Mumbai attack planners were ‘our people’, claims Husain Haqqani
On September 22, a commission comprising the ATC judge, defence counsel, court officials and others would examine the boat, record a statement, and cross-examine a witness in Karachi.
Over 166 people were killed and over 300 wounded when gunmen attacked landmarks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, triggering three days of gunfights.
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and the other suspects – Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum – have been under trial in the ATC since 2009.
Lakhvi was granted bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government’s order to detain him under the Maintenance of Public Order law.
One Constitution Avenue
The Islamabad High Court has directed for the clubbing of all petitions related to One Constitution Avenue for joint hearings.
While issuing directions to club the petitions for September 29, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that it took the Capital Development Authority (CDA) seven years to notice building violations.
“Didn’t the CDA chairman and the board members have any responsibility in the instant case,” the court remarked.
BNP Group, the owners of the One Constitution Avenue complex, have challenged the CDA’s decision to terminate its lease agreement.
Facebook contempt case
A district and sessions court granted post-arrest bail to two men arrested on charges of running a smear campaign against the judiciary on Facebook.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sayyed Faizan Hadier Shah granted bail to Chaudhry Mushtaq and Haseeb Ahmed against surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.
Indian officials were ‘holidaying’ in Murree during Mumbai attacks
FIA contended the suspects were booked and arrested for running a smear campaign and passed derogatory remarks against the judges and judiciary in connection with the recent kidnapping of the son of the Sindh High Court’s chief justice.
The FIA informed the court that the case was registered on the application of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. Mushtaq was arrested from Gujrat and Ahmed from Islamabad.
In a hearing on September 1, the FIA said it also booked TV anchor Dr Shahid Masood on charges of running a similar smear campaign on Facebook. Masood, however, said he had nothing to do with the Facebook accounts in question and submitted a supporting application to the investigation officer and the DG FIA.
On Wednesday, the counsel for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) concluded his arguments in the main case, where a private television channel has challenging a ban on Masood for allegedly casting aspersions on the Sindh High Court chief justice.
Following arguments, Justice Aamer Farooq reserved the verdict.
IMC deputy mayor case
Justice Athar Minallah of the IHC dismissed on Wednesday a petition seeking suspension of an Election Commission of Pakistan notification declaring Zeeshan Ali as the returned candidate for deputy mayor of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation.
Justice Minallah declared the petition non-maintainable as the issue is also pending before an election tribunal. Court directed petitioners, Malik Jamshed and Nazakat Ali, to pursue the matter before the tribunal.
The petitioners, who were candidates from UC-49, had filed an application for recounting of votes before the tribunal. Their application was still pending when Zeeshan was notified as deputy mayor. Subsequently, they challenged the ECP’s order before the IHC.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2016.
COMMENTS (3)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ