ATC acquits 15 suspects in Ziarat residency case

Judge Khilji exonerates them for want of evidence

QUETTA: An anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Monday acquitted 15 suspects in the Ziarat residency attack case for want of evidence.

The judgement was reserved on October 4.

ATC Judge Rahim Dad Khilji issued the Ziarat residency attack case verdict wherein 15 out of 33 accused were acquitted because of lack of proof against them.

The defence counsels included Mumtaz Advocate, Shaukat Rakshani Advocate and Jaffar Awan Advocate.

Baloch Liberation Army chief Hyrbyair Marri has also been acquitted in the case.

During the proceedings on October 4, all individuals related to the case had recorded their statements. The judge concluded the case along with the arguments by the end of the hearing and reserved the verdict. The case remained under trial for approximately six years

On June 15, 2013, militants attacked the Quaid-e-Azam residency in Ziarat with hand grenades and completely destroying the historical monument where the founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah spent his last days. A policeman outside the Quaid’s residency was also killed in the attack.

Four to five terrorists on two motorcycles attacked the heritage site after midnight on June 15. They fired three rockets before storming into the building with assault rifles and hand grenades. The attackers moved inside and planted more than six bombs. They escaped unharmed after setting the building alight.

Fire brigades quickly rushed to the site and extinguished the blaze after a four-hour struggle, but the building had completely burned down. Six of the bombs planted inside the residency were defused by the bomb disposal squad who reported that each bomb weighed two to three kilogrammes.

The residency was rebuilt and later inaugurated on August 14, 2014 by the government.

The founding father of the country, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had spent last days of his life in Ziarat at the historic wooden structure.

Ziarat is considered a tourist point in Balochistan. A large number of tourists used to visit the town and memorials of the Quaid every summer.