The court heard arguments from the defence counsel and the public prosecutor on Thursday, after the former filed an application under section 23 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 which deals with transfer of cases. The counsel argued that the case did not belong in the Anti-Terrorism Court because it was merely a case of kidnapping.
The public prosecutor, however, said that kidnapping for ransom constituted an act of terrorism as the suspects kept the victim hostage and tried to claim ransom. It was a scheduled offence under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, said the prosecutor. Moreover, the complainant in the case also felt that the case fell within the domain of the ATC.
The suspects in the case, Adnan Hussain and Mohammad Rizwan, have been accused of asking Rs250,000 for ransom after kidnapping a man. Three cases filed against the men deal with the charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, punishment for robbery and common intent and illegal weapons possession.
The court only needs to hear from the investigating officer.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2012.
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