Jail transfers: Accused fail to turn up at court hearings

KARACHI:

A show-cause notice has been issued to the Central Jail superintendent over the custody of Akram Lahori, a leader of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and his accomplices.

On August 16, several cases against Lahori, whose real name is Mohammad Ajmal, could not be heard by the Anti-Terrorism Court III because the accused and his accomplices had been transferred to the Hyderabad jail.

The court wrote to jail authorities and rescheduled the hearing of five cases to August 28. But the cases could not be heard as the men were still in Hyderabad. Another case, involving the alleged murder of Shia scouts last November, could also not be heard because the accused have been transferred to Hyderabad jail.

The FIR against the accused, Abdul Razzaq and Qari Inayatullah, was filed by the Soldier Bazaar police under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code that deal with murder, attempted murder and common intent, and section 13-D of the Arms Ordinance which deals with illegal possession of weapons. The scouts were attacked while on duty at a camp at Numaish Chowrangi on the first day of Muharram, following a rally held by the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2012.