RAWALPINDI, Jan 22: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Thursday formally indicted a man arrested in connection with two suicide attacks outside Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Wah in August last year.

ATC-II Judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahot framed terrorism charges against the accused, Hameedullah Mehsud, who pleaded not guilty and said he would defend himself in the court.

The court also summoned the prosecution witness for their statements on February 4, the next date of hearing.

Investigators of Wah police had charged him with murder, attempted murder, terrorism and keeping illegal explosive material.

The police have kept Hameedullah in physical custody for over 30 days after he was arrested on August 21 when two suicide attacks killed more than 70 people and injured over 100 others mostly workers of the POF.

Police registered a criminal case against unknown persons. The investigators, on the information obtained from the accused, had recovered suicide vests, hand grenades and other explosives from Akora Khattak in Nowshera district on August 25 and a case was registered with the area police against him.

The police had also learnt the names of the bombers that carried out the suicide attacks. Murad and Sowrat Khan carried out the blasts and the name of the fourth would-be suicide bomber was Bakhtiar.

Separately the court remanded an accused arrested on the charges of spreading blasphemous text messages on mobile phones into the physical custody of R.A. Bazaar police for five days.

The police sought 10 days physical custody of Hector Haleem to recover the SIM and handset used by him for spreading messages containing text showing disrespect against the Muslims.

Police registered a criminal case under section 25-A telegraphic act against him on the request of Tahir Iqbal who said he was one of the recipients of the hate messages.