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| India-Pakistan |
| ATC given 4 months to try `militants` |
| 2011-05-18 |
| [Dawn] The Beautiful Downtown Peshawar High Court on Monday directed the anti-terrorism court in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... to conclude trial of 60 suspected faceless myrmidons within four months. Otherwise they're gonna walk. Guess how it's gonna turn out? A single bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan directed that in case their trial could not be concluded within four months, they should be released on bail on condition of furnishing two sureties of Rs500,000. These suspects had surrendered to the security forces over two years ago and since then they had been behind the bars without conclusion of their trial. The bench was hearing a bail petition filed by 31 of these suspects including Kifayatullah and others. Advocate Astaghfirullah Khan appeared for the petitioners and contended that around 60 suspects, belonging to Koza Bandae and Bara Bandae areas of Swat, had surrendered to the security forces on July 20, 2009. Later, he stated, they were handed over to the local police and an FIR was registered against them under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act and section 13 of the Arms Ordinance. The counsel stated that on Dec 11, 2009, the high court had issued directives in their case that their trial should be completed within three months failing which they should be released on bail. He stated that the said deadline expired on March 12, 2010, but despite the passage of over 14 months the trial had still been in initial stages. He stated that the suspects also included some minors. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... advocate general, Sadaullah Khan Chamkani, contended that the suspects were faceless myrmidons and had surrendered to the security forces. He added that three of the suspects were would-be jacket wallahs and their rehabilitation and de-radicalisation was underway. |
| Posted by:Fred |