The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed on Tuesday the habeas corpus petition of two men who were detained in Adiala Jail after being acquitted in three terrorism cases.
IHC Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan dismissed the petition of Qari Muhammad Ilyas, a resident of Chakwal district, and Muhammad Rizwan, a resident of Karachi after their lawyer did not appear before the court. The court observed that the petition did not fall under habeas corpus.
Two men had moved IHC on August 24 against what they said was illegal detention in Adiala Jail. Earlier, they were acquitted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC). Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan acquitted the two men on September 25, 2010 on charges including attacking Pakistan Army’s Lieutenant-General Mushtaq Baig and aiding a terrorist attack on the Danish embassy and Islamabad’s Melody Market.
On August 26, the court issued notices to the magistrate, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and jail officials, however, later the government’s lawyer justified that the two men were being detained under Security of Pakistan Act 1952 and they were not in illegal custody. The case was adjourned till August 30.
The two petitioners were earlier arrested from Dhoke Lakhan on January 29, 2009 by RA Bazaar police, who recovered explosive detonators and grenades from their possession. They were charged of killing Lt-Gen Baig on February 25, six people in an attack on the Danish embassy on June 2 and 15 policemen in a suicide attack at Melody Market on the first anniversary of the military operation against Lal Masjid in July.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2011.
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