An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced on Saturday two men, Muhammad Bin Shahzad and Rehan, to fifteen and a half years of imprisonment, besides imposing a penalty of Rs80,000 on each of them, after finding them guilty in a case pertaining to the provision of financial assistance through a seminary run by banned outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Announcing the verdict, ATC-12 elaborated that the convicts' imprisonment period should be extended by 14 months if they were unable to pay the penalty.
Moreover, the court directed the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG to initiate an inquiry against the investigation officer (IO) of the case within 30 days for presenting a JeM member as the prosecution's witness.
Also, noting that the banned outfit's members had previously been evicted from the madrassa, the court said the seminary's building was later given into their possession again. It directed the chief secretary to review the matter.
The court further observed that the seminary was constructed on illegally occupied land reserved for a park.
Highlighting the provision of electricity and gas connections for the building without legal documentation, the court stated that this encouraged encroachment and ruled that such connections should not be provided without legal documentation.
It directed the relevant authorities to provide the verdict's copies to the National Electrical Power Regulatory Authority and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.
Acquitted
Separately, ATC-12 acquitted an accused, Furqan Ahmed, nominated in a case for facilitating a banned outfit, as the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against him.
The court pointed out that the prosecution witnesses' statements were contradictory.
The court also ordered the CTD AIG to launch an investigation against the case IO, Tariq Qayyum, as well ASI Khan Muhammad. "The IO had [wrongly] said during cross-questioning that the accused belonged to banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, citing the Fourth Schedule," the court observed.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2020.
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