Adiala missing inmates: ISI says terror suspects ‘held on moral grounds’
'We are morally convinced they were involved in terrorism,' says counsel for intelligence agencies.
Justice Chaudhry said that the federation, agencies and provincial governments were silent on the matter. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A lawyer, representing Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), said Monday that a group of men detained for years on suspicion of terror attacks had been held on “moral grounds”, admitting there was no evidence against them.
The seven men were first arrested in November 2007 and their release ordered in May 2010, only for them to disappear.
The Supreme Court decided to investigate why the men had been held and in February 2012, they appeared before the court, in poor health, barely able to stand or talk.
Counsel for agencies, Raja Irshad, sought to justify the men’s detention but conceded that they could not be put on trial because of a “lack of incriminating evidence”.
“But we are morally convinced that they were involved in terrorism,” Irshad told the court.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said suspects cannot be detained indefinitely and unlawfully.
“Morally they can put any one behind bars, even me. According to them, all the people are guilty,” Chaudhry said.
“They should have been released if they could not be tried under the army act. They are in confinement for more than four years,” he added. The civilians had been facing a court martial under the Army Act on charges of attacking the General Headquarters (GHQ) and ISI’s Hamza Camp base.
The case originally concerned a group of 11 men, but the court was told last year that four of them had died. “What was their crime and why have they been kept in confinement?” the chief justice questioned.
Judge Sheikh Azmat Saeed expressed dismay that the government had not enacted appropriate legislation to deal with terror cases.
“They have not made the necessary legislation. Don't they see what kind of laws are in other countries, they should look at the Internet,” Saeed said.
“What has the government been doing for the past five years?”
Chaudhry ordered the government and intelligence agencies to report back to him on Tuesday about what would happen to the detainees. He said that if the reports were proven inappropriate then proceedings will be carried out against the concerned people.
The chief justice sought the reports after the deputy attorney general informed him that a case is reviewed three months after it is heard.
Defending the ISI, Irshad said his clients have repeatedly asked the government to pass more effective legislation to ensure that suspects in high-profile cases are not acquitted on the basis on insufficient evidence.
(With additional input from Express News)
A lawyer, representing Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), said Monday that a group of men detained for years on suspicion of terror attacks had been held on “moral grounds”, admitting there was no evidence against them.
The seven men were first arrested in November 2007 and their release ordered in May 2010, only for them to disappear.
The Supreme Court decided to investigate why the men had been held and in February 2012, they appeared before the court, in poor health, barely able to stand or talk.
Counsel for agencies, Raja Irshad, sought to justify the men’s detention but conceded that they could not be put on trial because of a “lack of incriminating evidence”.
“But we are morally convinced that they were involved in terrorism,” Irshad told the court.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said suspects cannot be detained indefinitely and unlawfully.
“Morally they can put any one behind bars, even me. According to them, all the people are guilty,” Chaudhry said.
“They should have been released if they could not be tried under the army act. They are in confinement for more than four years,” he added. The civilians had been facing a court martial under the Army Act on charges of attacking the General Headquarters (GHQ) and ISI’s Hamza Camp base.
The case originally concerned a group of 11 men, but the court was told last year that four of them had died. “What was their crime and why have they been kept in confinement?” the chief justice questioned.
Judge Sheikh Azmat Saeed expressed dismay that the government had not enacted appropriate legislation to deal with terror cases.
“They have not made the necessary legislation. Don't they see what kind of laws are in other countries, they should look at the Internet,” Saeed said.
“What has the government been doing for the past five years?”
Chaudhry ordered the government and intelligence agencies to report back to him on Tuesday about what would happen to the detainees. He said that if the reports were proven inappropriate then proceedings will be carried out against the concerned people.
The chief justice sought the reports after the deputy attorney general informed him that a case is reviewed three months after it is heard.
Defending the ISI, Irshad said his clients have repeatedly asked the government to pass more effective legislation to ensure that suspects in high-profile cases are not acquitted on the basis on insufficient evidence.
(With additional input from Express News)