Times Square Bombing: Anti-terror court acquits four accused

Counsel for accused says men acquitted as police failed to provide evidence suggesting their involvement in attack.

RAWALPINDI:

An anti-terrorism court on Saturday acquitted four men accused of involvement in a botched terrorist attack at New York’s Times Square in 2010.

The men were arrested for their alleged ties with Pakistani-born American Faisal Shahzad, who had parked a bomb-laden SUV at Times Square. The bomb was, however, defused by the New York police after they were informed by two street vendors. Shahzad later pleaded guilty in a US court.

ATC-I’s Special Judge Shahid Rafique acquitted the accused, Hunbal Akhtar, Muhammad Shoaib Mughal, Muhammad Shahid Hussain and Faisal Shabbir Abbasi, who were arrested in Islamabad on September 5, 2010.  Pro-Taliban literature was recovered from their possession.

Counsel for the accused, Advocate Basharatullah Khan said the men had been acquitted as the police failed to provide any evidence suggesting their involvement in the botched attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2012.