A two-member bench of Peshawar High Court has admitted a plea, pleading to set aside military court’s decision of death sentence to former spokesman of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat and directed the Interior Ministry and other departments to produce records.
The bench, comprising Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Mohammad Ijaz Anwar, issued order in response to a suit filed by Ms Nida Bibi wife of Muslim Khan through Tariq Asad advocate. The petitioner pleaded that neither military court’s trail was fair nor Muslim Khan was given right of defence during the trail. On such grounds, the petitioner pleaded before the court to stay the military court’s decision and let the accused to explain his position before the court of law.
The court while admitting the plea for preliminary hearing, directed the federal government through Interior Ministry and other departments for producing details of the case on next hearing day.
The same bench of Peshawar High Court through other identical petitions upheld decisions of military court awarding capital punishment to 35 accused and life imprisonment to two in various acts of terror. The court rejected pleas of relatives and declared that all convicts have been granted just right of defence before the concerned courts. However, the court accepted only two appeals against death sentences to Mohammad Imran and Aziz-ur-Rahman and sent back to military courts for review.
Muslim Khan, who was spokesman of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Swat chapter, has claimed responsibility for of terror acts, occurred during 2006-2009. Muslim Khan had led banned TTP team in dialogues with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and upon its (dialogues) failure, the government launched successful military action Raah Raast in 2009. Though Muslim Khan along with scores of other militants was arrested but TTP Swat chief Mullah Fazalullah succeeded in escape. Now Mullah Fazal is commanding the group allegedly from Afghanistan.
Former provincial minister and Awami National Party leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain who was part of government’s negotiation team with banned TTP in 2008-2009 when contacted by this correspondent said, “The matter is pending before court of law, therefore, they have no right to comment. However, he recalled that Muslim Khan was a militant commander and he had claimed responsibility of a large number of violent and terrorist acts before his arrest.
