Suicide attack: Three terrorism suspects acquitted

MULTAN: An anti-terrorism court in Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday acquitted three people accused of terrorism for want of evidence.

Judge Chaudhry Munir Butt ordered that the alleged militants be released.

Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Naeem and Ghulam Mustafa Qaisarani had been arrested in Taunsa. In the same case, the court declared Qaari Obaidullah, a resident of North Waziristan, a proclaimed offender.

They had been arrested in connection with the February 5, 2009 suicide attack which targeted Shias near Imambargah Ali Johar, Dera Ghazi Khan, during the chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Twenty seven people were killed in the blast and 85 were injured, including 48 who were disabled.

It took police two months to arrest these men.

DCO Ali Bahadur Qazi on Wednesday ordered house arrest for a period of 30 days following the release of the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2013.