PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court on Friday here convicted two Afghan nationals for the Dec 2019 bombing outside the Peshawar High Court, which left 11 people injured, and awarded life sentence and seven years imprisonment to the main accused and the co-accused, respectively.

The judge pronounced that the prosecution had proved its case against the main accused, Ikramullah, a resident of Kunar province in Afghanistan, and the evidence on record connected him with the commission of the offence.

Seven years rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000 was handed down to the co-accused, Matiullah, also a resident of Kunar.

The court also directed the government to deport both convicts after the completion of their respective jail terms.

ATC awards life sentence to main accused

The case was registered at the counter-terrorism department police station on Dec 16, 2019, after an improvised explosive device planted in an auto-rickshaw went off near the high court building, injuring 11 people.

The FIR was registered under different provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substance Act, Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, and the Pakistan Penal Code.

The CTD had arrested the two Afghan nationals claiming that they were involved in that act of terrorism. They had claimed that they were falsely implicated in the case.

The prime accused was sentenced to life imprisonment on four counts under sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substance Act, Section 7(1)(B) of the ATA and section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the PPC.

The court, however, observed that keeping in view the young age of the main convict, death sentence was not handed down to him.

He was also awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under section 7(1)(D) of the ATA and three years imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000 under the Foreigners Act.

The court extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure and declared that all his sentences should run concurrently.

REMANDED: An anti-terrorism court sent five men to prison on 14 days judicial remand for carrying the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan here.

The suspects, including Kaleemullah, Mosam Gul, Hashmatullah, Umner Kashif and Abdullah, were arrested a day ago by the personnel of the Urmer police stationnear Shamshato area here.

A case was registered against them under Section 11-G of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which deals with offence of wearing, carrying or displaying any article, symbol or any flag or banner connected with or associated with any proscribed organisation.

The police officials told the court that they had recovered a flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Afghan Taliban) from the possession of suspects, while investigation in the case was still under way.

When contacted, an official of the Urmer police station confirmed the arrest of suspects, saying the carrying of a flag of a proscribed organisation was a crime.

When reminded that the IEA was not on the list of proscribed outfits, he said, “We believe that the organisation of Afghan Taliban is banned here.”

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2021