Two ‘sectarian outfit activists’ acquitted of terror financing

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has acquitted two men, said to be associated with a proscribed sectarian outfit, in a 2019 case pertaining to terror financing due to a lack of evidence.

The ATC-XVI judge, who held the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, exonerated Sajjad Hussain and Zakir Hussain from all the charges.

The judge announced his order that was reserved after recording evidence and arguments from both sides, observing that the prosecution failed to prove its charges against the accused.

According to the prosecution, two alleged target killers, Muhammad Haider, alias Chhota, and Syed Mehtab Hussain Naqvi, alias Muchhar, who belonged to the banned Sipah-e-Muhammad, were arrested in 2019.

During interrogation, they revealed to the investigators that they received funds for terrorist activities through two bank accounts, and managed these funds and distributed them to their accomplices, it said.

Subsequently, a separate case of terror financing was lodged against them and others who were allegedly involved in fundraising, the prosecution said, adding that around Rs2.8 million was funnelled through these accounts and used to execute terrorist activities.

In August 2020, Mehtab and Haider, along with six co-accused, were acquitted in the present case. Accused Zakir and Sajjad had been declared fugitives from law and were arrested this April.

Defence counsel Abid Zaman said that neither did the FIR name his clients nor did it mention any specific act of terrorism. He said the bank accounts were also not in the names of the accused. He, therefore, pleaded with the judge to acquit them for lack of evidence.

The FIR had been lodged by the Counter Terrorism Department (East) under sections 11-I, 11-J and 11-N, pertaining to alleged collection of funds meant for terror financing, of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Act.