Safoora Goth attack: Family of ‘facilitators’ asked to file new petition

Two brothers, reportedly acquitted of charges, still in army custody


Our Correspondent October 03, 2016
The chief of army staff has signed the death warrants of five accused in the Safoora Goth attack, in which 45 people were killed. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Monday a petitioner to file a new petition seeking the custody of two brothers, who were arrested on charges of facilitating the Safoora Goth attack, from military authorities.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, passed this direction on a petition filed by Hira Siddiqui, the wife of one of the brothers. The former deputy-director of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society, Sultan Qamar Siddiqui, and his younger brother, Muhammad Hussain Siddiqui, were arrested on allegations of facilitating the killing of 45 members of the Ismaili community in Safoora Goth, Karachi in May 2015.

The chief of army staff had recently signed the death warrants of five accused, including Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin, Tahir Hussain Minhas alias Sain, Asadur Rehman alias Malik and Mohammad Azhar Ishrat alias Majid, after a military court had sentenced them to death.

Hira, Sultan's wife, had moved an application in the court seeking the release of her husband and brother-in-law, who had been handed over to the army following the transfer of their trial from the anti-terrorism court to the military court.

She further said that they had come to know that the military court had acquitted them of the charges of facilitating the attack but they were still being kept in custody. The petitioner alleged that both the men are being kept in inhumane living conditions and suffer from ailments.

Therefore, she had pleaded to the court to order the relevant authorities to transfer their custody to civil authorities.

During Monday's proceedings, additional attorney-general Salman Talibuddin contested the petitioner's claim that the men were blindfolded and kept in a dark room. He alleged that such news reported in the media was defaming the institution of the army.

The bench observed that the federal government is duty bound under the law to inform the court about the order passed by the military court as well as the state of the two men. However, the judges asked that the petitioner file a new petition, if any, in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2016.

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