The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on Tuesday the release of seven people who were acquitted in anti-terrorism cases but were taken into custody by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
A single bench of the IHC comprising Chief Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman resumed the in-camera hearing on Tuesday and ordered the ISI to release the seven suspects, who had previously been arrested for their alleged involvement in various terrorist act such as the suicide attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, the attack on Maj General Mushtaq Baig in Rawalpindi, and the RA Bazaar bombing, but acquitted by the court.
During the last hearing, the counsel for the detainees had told the court that law enforcement agencies could not detain any citizens without sufficient evidence against them.
However, Deputy Attorney General Tariq Jahangiri had told the court in reply that the seven suspects had been in ISI custody for the last three months because the agency had sufficient evidence against them and they could carry out terrorist activities. He also told the court that the ISI had apprehended the suspects on orders from the prime minister.
During the last hearing, the officials of the ISI had requested the chief justice to hear them in his chambers on the issue, which he did, but after hearing the ISI’s version of events, he finally ordered the release of the seven suspects on Tuesday. Those who were acquitted were Faisal Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Sarfraz, Naeem Ahmed, Dr Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Nadeem, Osama bin Waleed and Zeshan Jalil.