Five accused in 2014 court bombing acquitted

Court says prosecution and police failed to prove charges

ISLAMABAD:

A local court in Islamabad on Tuesday acquitted five suspects, who had been arrested after a gun and twin suicide attacks at the district court in Islamabad’s Sector F-8 left 13 people dead and 25 others injured in March 2014, citing a lack of evidence.

District and Sessions Judge Tahir Mahmood Khan ordered the acquittal of the five accused named in the district court attack case eight years ago.

After the lawyers concluded arguments, the court issued a brief ruling and acquitted the accused named Jan Muhammad, Abdul Ghaffar, Qamar Zaman, Bismillah Jan and Jamroz.

The court stated that the prosecution could not prove the charges against the accused. Due to the police's shoddy investigation, the accused were found not guilty, the court said.

The accused had been accused as facilitators and abettors in the twin suicide attacks.

It should be recalled that the two suicide attacks were carried out in Islamabad district courts on March 3, 2014., which had left 13 people including Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ahmad Khan Awan, senior advocate Rao Abdul Rashid, advocate Tanveer Ahmed Shah, Fizza Malik, Mian Muhammad Aslam, AIOU regional director Muhammad Riaz, policeman Akbar Umer Tariq, junior munshi Talib Hussain, court staff Shabir, Haji Sanullah and an unidentified person dead.

The injured included Raja Basharat, Waseem Iqbal, Mazhar Ali, Abdul Khaliq, Oun Azhar, Syed Obaidullah, Akmal Umer Tariq, Yasir Hameed Malik, Muhammad Hasnain, Muhammad Faisal, Nadeem Aziz, Mian Abdur Razzaq, Muhammad Bashir, Nisar, Faizan Mahmood, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Nisar Ahmed, Ch. Maqsood Akhtar, Syed Obaidullah, Qazi Rafiuddin, Muzamil Hussain, Amin, Nadeem, Madiha, Muhammad Miskeen, Asadullah, Easa Khan, Shakir and advocate Rai Azhar Hussain.

A case of the incident was registered at the Margalla Police Station.

SNGPL restrained from disconnecting connections

Meanwhile, the IHC on Tuesday restrained the Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGPL) from severing connections of commercial customers who have not yet shifted to Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG). The court has also sought replies from the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the SNGPL.

IHC judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani heard the plea of around 50 petitioners including commercial SSGC customers comprising owners of restaurants, hotels and catering associations.

Restaurants’ Association President Farooq Chaudhary and others also appeared in the court. Imran Shafiq advocate, the counsel for the petitioners, argued that the forced shifting of commercial consumers to the RLNG would affect the labourers and daily wagers.

The court adjourned the hearing till December 2, giving a week to the lawyers of OGRA and the SNGPL to file their replies in the case.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2022.