Six indicted for Sri Lankan cricket team attack

An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday summoned the prosecution witnesses by June 30 after framing charges against six members of a banned outfit accused in 2009 Sri Lankan cricket team attack case. 

During an in-camera proceedings on Wednesday held at Kot Lakhpat Jail all the suspects; Obaidullah, Javed Anwar, Ibrahim Khalil, Abdul Wahab, Zubair and Adnan Arshad, pleaded not guilty.

The first three suspects were on bail while other are behind bars. 

In this case, the court had already declared two suspects, Mohsin Rasheed and Abdul Rehman, proclaimed offenders. The presiding judge, Chaudhry Azam, summoned the prosecution witnesses on June 30. 

The alleged mastermind of the attack, Malik Ishaq, was killed last year in July during a crossfire between the personnel of Counter-Terrorism Department and the militants who tried to free their leader from the custody of the force in Muzaffargarh. Gulberg police had registered a case against Ishaq and others for their involvement in the attack. 

A bus carrying the guest team was attacked with AK-47 rifles and grenades at Liberty Chowk near Qaddafi Stadium on March 3, 2009. Seven players and an assistant coach were wounded while eight Pakistanis killed in the attack. 

Then Sri Lankan cricket team captain Mahela Jayawaredene, his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas had sustained injuries. Six escorting policemen were also killed in this attack. Attackers had a plan to take the cricket team hostage to get some arrested commanders of TTP released.

remand extended: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Wednesday extended three-day physical remand of one Anees Rafique, an accused of burning alive his 17-year-old sister in the name of honour with connivance of his mother and brother-in-law. 

Factory Area police produced the suspect, Anees, before the court and sought his further physical remand to complete investigation. The court has extended the remand by June 25. 

Anees was arrested from the house of his relatives in Nishtar Colony. Previously, the court had remanded the mother of the victim girl Parveen Rafique and brother-in-law Mushtaq. 

Zeenat was burnt alive for honour allegedly by her parents over contracting love marriage in the Factory Area police limits.

A case was registered on the complaint of victim’s husband Hassan Khan, a resident of Chungi Amar Sadhu. Hassan in his statement contended that he contracted love marriage with the victim on May 29 through a local court. Three days back, victim’s cousin Mushtaq Ahmad visited his house and asked her to go back home so that marriage ceremony could be held in a proper way. (LAHORE)