Last-ditch effort: Convict challenges six-year sentence before PHC

Court seeks reports on disappearance of suspected suicide bomber’s alleged handler.

PESHAWAR: A convict has challenged a six-year prison sentence handed to him by an upper Kurram Agency assistant political agent for attacks on US forces’ camps in Afghanistan.

The PHC division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Younas Taheem heard preliminary arguments and issued notices to the respondents on Tuesday. The court was told by Fida Gul, the counsel for convicted Shahideen, that his client was accused of attacking foreign forces in Afghanistan. He said Shahideen was arrested in January 2013 by security forces from a bus stand in Kohat under the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

Fida Gul told the court Shahideen was later handed over to the political administration without the completion of legal requirements. Security forces later formed a joint investigation team to probe the matter.

“The JIT completed its investigation and placed the accused in the ‘black’ category which means proven militant. It revealed that the convict belonged to Afghanistan and was involved in attacks on NATO and US forces,” the petition stated. It added the JIT report determined Shahideen was also a member of a militant group. Shahideen was subsequently sentenced to six years in prison and fined Rs100,000 by the assistant political agent.

His family later challenged the verdict before the court of the Kohat Frontier Crimes Regulation commissioner, but the initial decision was upheld on December 12, 2013. Later, they approached the FATA Tribunal against the FCR commissioner’s decision, but the judgment and conviction were both upheld again.

However, the PHC was told that if charges had been framed against the accused, permission should have been taken from the local magistrate. The division bench consequently issued notices to the respondents in the case to submit their written replies.

Handler’s ‘disappearance’

The PHC sought a report from the provincial government in a case related to the disappearance of the alleged handler of a suspected suicide bomber who was initially traced to the Kohat internment centre.

Abdul Fayyaz, counsel for the chief capital police officer, said the court issued directives to identify police officials who held the press conference which presented suspected suicide bomber Bilal and his alleged handler Jehangir Khan. Fayyaz said the police now traced the previously missing person to the Lakki Marwat internment centre.

On November 20, 2012, the Sarband police arrested Bilal and Jehangir Khan. Bilal was produced before an anti-terrorism court while the whereabouts of Jehangir remained unknown for months. The family said Jehangir was around 18 years old at the time and was studying at Superior Science College Peshawar.

Warrant withdrawn

Also, the court withdrew the arrest warrant for former Bannu commissioner and the show-cause notice issued to the Lakki Marwat district police officer for failing to comply with court orders.

Former Bannu commissioner Syed Mohsin Shan and DPO Ismail Karak appeared before the court for the hearing of the case against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2015.