Rangers official’s murder: Former chief cleric of Lal Masjid, 16 others acquitted
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) special judge acquitted Aziz, his wife Umm-e-Hassaan, their daughter Tayaba Aziz, Humera Rashid (the widow of Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi), and some students and teachers of Jamia Faridia in the murder of Rangers official Lance Naik Mubarak Hussain who was deputed outside the mosque.
There were total 21 accused in the case, out which, four people who were declared proclaimed offenders in the case were not acquitted, because they never appeared before the court.
The ATC issued arrest warrants for all four of them.
Charges leveled against Aziz’s younger brother Maulana Ghazi were dropped after he had died.
Eighteen government witnesses appeared before the court, including four DSPs and two magistrates.
The cleric was granted bail in 2008, and the other accused were granted bail even earlier, in 2007.
A case against the accused was registered on July 3, 2007.
On July 3, 2007, former president Pervez Musharraf had ordered a military operation against the mosque for challenging the writ of the state. The military besieged the mosque for 12 days before assaulting the compound, an attack in which hundreds of students were killed.
Aziz is accused of using the mosque loudspeaker to instigate madrassa students to attack the Rangers who were deployed outside the mosque in order to prevent Aziz and his associates at Lal Masjid from continuing their campaign of public intimidation that they had been carrying out since January of that year.
The charges against Aziz also include kidnapping and abduction of Chinese massage therapists as well as hijacking a children’s library in June 2007 as part of his institution’s protest against the demolition of seven mosques in the federal capital.
COMMENTS (63)
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@True Muslim Paki:
Wanting end to prostitution? The response of normal person is to lodge a complaint, protest etc. etc.
Response of insane people: get weapons yourself, kidnap policemen and army men, use women and children as human shield while inciting them to kill police and army.
In what universe does prostitution in the neighborhood make it ok to KIDNAP and KILL.
@True Muslim Paki: "Overnight in Pakistan, freedom fighters become militants & terrorists. Just a few years ago, these people were called the greatest heroes/jihadis & for their sacrifices, streets were named after them."
As you sow, so shall you reap. Pakistan had used these people to further its foreign policy goals, but couldn't control them in the end. And it was not for them to decide which videos people should watch.
And as regards the PTI, Imran says that he wants a Islamic welfare state. And guess what, the only countries that are truly close to the Islamic welfare model are the SECULAR Scandinavian countries. Go figure!
@S.ASIF RASHID: So you believe this cleric and his dead brother were struggling for just society ? it made me remind all those J-I and PTI leaders who defend such terrorists every night after 10 : pm on different t.v channels. your ideal society is the one where every one suppose to have long beards and if its not long enough then you are subject to punishment of numerous lashes,girls are not allowed to go to schools or collages,woman has no right to do job they are nothing but breading machines? this is pathetic for god sake talk to senses
@ishtiaer hussain: wow,very well said i agree with you
S.asif Rasheed is right to an extent. Overnight in Pakistan, freedom fighters become militants & terrorists. Just a few years ago, these people were called the greatest heroes/jihadis & for their sacrifices, streets were named after them.
The same Lal masjid was the place where most Sr Establishment officers went to pray & later mercilessly slaughtered women & children who stood against Chinese prostitution & illegal video's. All they wanted was implementation of Islamic laws just like PTI wants & they were massacred.
People wake up. Bringing this chief justice was a conspiracy against Pakistan to get rid of Pervez Musharraf.Where is Aitazaz Ahsan .Ali Kurd and others who helped bring this curse on pakistan
S.ASIF RASHID: Tens of thousands of Pakistanis have been killed by the people you are supporting. Abdul Aziz and his brother were openly waging war against Pakistan and in any country with a unbiased judiciary, he would have been found guilty of treason, inciting violence, disturbing the peace, blackmailing and waging war against the state among other crimes.
So-called FREE-JUDICIARY......Keep freeing killers...where is ASMA JAHANGIR?
The judge did his job.. If there is lack of evidence how can u charge a person of anything.. Stop crying u all..
@S.ASIF RASHID: Please add to your comment by telling us WHO has killed nearly 40,000 Pakistanis over the last decade!
alhumaduallah
Miss Musharraf. All decisions made by Musharraf proved true.
So who actually killed that poor guy from Rangers ! He got killed and no body got punished !
It looks as if judiciary is celebrating "terrorists Day". nation will suffer for these shameful acts of the terrorists.
Judiciary is committed to support terrorism in Pakistan.
free birds(i mean animals) now.
It is really sad you never published my comments. I have submitted various times.
I fully endorse Ishtiar Hussain. Pakistan was growing at 7-8 percent annually and poverty was decreasing. Now with the exception of the ex and current PM, Deputy PM and CJ and their likes, others have become much poorer. This CJ would rank along with Ziaulhaq and Bhutto in ruining this country and its economy.
Yes he is the one who tried escaping in the guise of a woman, while giving fatwa's for men to emulate women is forbidden, How queer. Please bring the General back.
Please judges, have some fear of Allah. It is sad to see murderers walking away free...
well thats why i will never and ever support any party who brings religion in politics
the judges are with terrorist pakistani nation should open her eyes
The terrorism cases should be tried only in military courts with civilian courts including supereme having no rights to review decisions by military courts only then the menace of terrorism will be checked. If we need to make new laws then it should be done without delay.
black day for the justice system in aPakistan because of fear of retaliation from these exrtremists.emphasized text i hope one day Pakistan moderate majority would get up and give a beating of life tiem to these mullahs like the one in Bangladesh.emphasized text
The Courts believe in Rule of Law.
And the Law says, 'Only PPP is guilty'.
Case Closed.
What Shame! terrorist& CJP win! Pakistan lost the case! Shame on judicial system....
@ishtiaer hussain: Right on. For CJ only terrorist are PPP/ARMY/FC/RANGER. All other like Hafiz syed are innocent. Bright present & future lay ahead.
Azad Adlia is responsible for most of our problems. Be it terrorism, law and order, lack of justice, investment, jobs creation and even corruption. 1)- The judges set free terrorists on account of "lack of evidence" (For God's sake! in this case, the entire world saw who abducted the Ranger official and who killed him) and then humiliate Army and police officials in courts about the need to curb terrorism. Terrorists know very well that no matter how many innocent people they kill, they are going to end up free. 2)- They turn a blind eye to the corruption of their family members and then attack NAB for its inability to control corruption in the country. 3)- They scare away private investors (Rental power sector, Balochistan mining rights case) from the country by taking controvertial decisions and then ask the government to produce more power and control load-shedding. 4)- They stop the privatization of steels mills and allow the bureaucats to loot everything that is left there and then innocently take notice of corruption in the steel mills.
The molvi who was trying to create state within Islamabad set free by our glorious judiciary, o thats just grand. It is the message for the terrorists that kill as many Pakistanis as you can, judiciary will help you free. What a shame indeed..
Iftikhar Chaudhry asks Law Enforcement officials why they can't control law and order situation and terrorism in the country. How can they, when almost all known terrorists are allowed to go free? The problem is not with military, police or FC, the problem is with our media and Azad Adlia.
I hope do not offend anybody, but would like to make the comment with caution (and pre-apology, if it offends anyone)
"If this is Pakistani justice system then I doubt even GOD can save Pakistan!"
It is more like:
GOD can not help as it out of HER jurisdiction, but even Allah is thinking: Is it worth saving? ..p
Abdul Aziz was already rewarded bails, plots and compensation by Chief Justice for holding the capital hostage, setting up their own courts in Lal mosque, kidnapping people, killing security personals and brainwashing thousands to turn them against state of Pakistan. Pakistani Media painted these dangerous characters as innocents becuase their agenda was to get rid of Musharaf.
This is just a sham judicial system. It is plain and simple. The mosque was used as a terror center. The writ of the Government was indeed challenged. The students some of them innocent were probably held captive by the Ghazi brothers as human shields. In effect they were responsible for the deaths of these kids. They should be punished and not let go scot-free.
Lets see if the so called brave commando musharraf can have courage to come back and face the courts.
No doubt the imam who falsely accused the Christian child with downs syndrome will walk free as well. This will just add to the perception that religious extremist are above the law in Pakistan.
I thought a revolver is normally held at the judge's head in Pakistan. Looks like it is AK47.
Those falsely accused of Blasphemy get killed one way or the other; and real killers are let loose. What a country; terrorism and terrorists are now mainstream.
Now the Chief Justice will grant him another 20 kannal plot in Islamabad as compensation.
Yes, this is exactly what we & Pakistan need. This will boast the morale of our brave soldiers to see the people who kill them go free.
Keep it up, Pakistan will no doubt be back in the stone ages in the near future.
i really hope this man will continue to breed the terrorists who will later on be terrorizing this nation . thanks to the so called free judiciary and the supporters. my dear countrymen please get ready for more suicide attacks
Shame!
We should not blame the ATC special judge. He has as much right to life as we do.
Great! The courts in Pakistan continue to acquit the terrorists. Why try them if the only outcome possible is acquittal. Everyone around the world saw cleric Aziz and his terrorists waging war against the state of Pakistan but the courts remain unconvinced.
But of course. A big thank you to the courts for showing thing mercy on the nation. Another set of terrorists acquitted.
So called students in Lal Masjid and Jamai Hafsa were carrying weapons. They abducted chinese workers. They were doing illegal activities using the mosque as shelter. Their demands can be right but their course of action was illegal.
Our courts keep acquitting terrorists and then ask Law enforcers to stop terrorism. The time is not far away when Pakistani soldiers and police risking their lives against these terrorists will stop fighting due to this injustice.
Thanks to our free and fair judiciary.
So the blood of those brave soldiers who died to save the people of Pakistan from tyrannical ideology of Ghazi Brothers is in vain?
If this is Pakistani justice system then I doubt even GOD can save Pakistan!
So sad yet again the murderers are set free. How will we ever have law and order?
I'm sure they've been acquitted due to 'lack-of-evidence'.
This is the sad reality of our justice system.
Even before the judges reach at any conclusion, these types of offenders know well before hand the outcome of such cases. Acquittal is a divine gift for them in Pakistan.
Good! Or else Pakistan will have to look for another Judge as this one would have run to Saudi Arabia
The truth at last, Hope fully no more biased news dictated by the americans...
Was the murdered Ranger's official a Martyr?
After reading the headline I had almost expected it to be another Sou Moto of our honorable CJ! Would be interested in knowing a bit more about the decision. Do Wonder how long its going to take to honorably discharge Mumtaz Qadri.
Another great decision by our judiciary which will go a long way in promoting terrorism and intolreance in our country and give more courage to these elements who want to implement there ideology on others by force and aggression.
Once again it is proved the law in Pakistan only punishes the weak and helpless. The powerful simply breaks the net and move away.
Did he turn up in a burka? What a nightmare that whole episode was...and it continues to haunt us now.