RAWALPINDI, March 22: An anti-terrorism court judge, Chaudhry Habibur Rehman, here on Saturday put off hearing in two suicide attack cases registered with the Islamabad police till April 7, as jail trial of the suspects in one of the cases is still awaited.

In the July 27, 2007 Aabpara suicide attack case which killed 14 people, mostly personnel of the Punjab police, the Aabpara police had sought permission of commissioner Islamabad for the jail trial of the accused due to the sensitivity of the case.

Meanwhile, the commissioner allowed the trial of the suspects - Qasim Mushtaq, Imdadullah - under section 3 and 4 of the explosive act, as they were also charged with keeping illegal weapons and explosive materials in a case registered with the Bharakahu police in August.

The commissioner had already allowed the jail trial of three other suspects - Faisal Mushtaq, Fasihullah and Tehseen Abbasi - allegedly involved in the July 17 suicide blast at the Islamabad district courts which killed 17 people.

Five men including Faisal and his brother Qasim were arrested separately from Bharakahu. The police claimed to have recovered explosive material and hand grenades from their possession and later found them to be involved in the two suicide bomb blasts.

The accused had, however, claimed that they were not arrested from Bharakahu. The two brothers had maintained that one of them was arrested from the house of his uncle in Wah Cantt and the other from his house in Islamabad. Whereas both Fasihullah and Imdadullah said they were arrested in Raja Bazaar.

Opinion

Rule by law

Rule by law

‘The rule of law’ is being weaponised, taking on whatever meaning that fits the political objectives of those invoking it.

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