Detained after acquittal: Court seeks response from chief commissioner

Chief Commissioner directed to record comments in the case of men detained after being acquitted on terrorism cases.

RAWALPINDI: Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Tariq Pirzada was directed on Monday to record his comments in the case of five men who were detained by city administration after being acquitted on terrorism cases.

The relatives of these men had earlier moved the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on November 16 to get the detained persons released.

On the last hearing, the court directed the counsel of federation to file its response in the detention of Obaidullah, Mohammad Owais, Fidaullah, Khairullah and Khurram Shehzad.

During the course of hearing on Monday the lawyer of the administration told the court that the Chief Commissioner Office (CCO) was the right forum ‘legally’ for any consultation. It was of the view that the relatives of the detainees should have contacted CCO. However, the court asked the chief commissioner to file his response by December 29.

These five men were acquitted on October 30 by Anti-Terrorism Court in the cases of suicide attacks on Islamabad Police Special Branch at Sitara Market, G-7, and the Frontier Constabulary check post on Margalla Road. Afterwards, the court acquitted Fidaullah, a student of Jamia Faridia associated with Lal Masjid and security in-charge of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, who was killed in the military operation, along with Khairullah, Khurram Shahzad, Awais and Obaid.

The same evening, the district magistrate of Islamabad issued the detention orders of 90 days for these five people on the request of the police.

Later, the relatives of the acquitted men moved LHC challenging their detention orders saying that there was no reason for detaining them after the court’s orders.

The petitioners maintained that the detention orders could not be considered lawful as the five men had been acquitted of the charges. They said the accused faced 18-month trial and cannot be considered as risk for public order, adding there was no other case against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2010.