Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), submitted a written statement in the court on Friday, which he verbally made on Thursday, conceding custody of the missing prisoners, following the Supreme Court’s order,
The court adjourned further hearing until the first week of January after receiving the written statement. Also, the court directed the counsel to arrange meetings of the 11 missing prisoners with their families.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was hearing the case of the 11 missing prisoners of Adiala Jail. According to the statement, the agencies had “recovered” the men from terrorist camps and were now being interrogated for masterminding terrorism campaigns, after which they would be tried under the Army Act 1952.
“These prisoners belong to a well-knit group of terrorists and were taken to their hideouts by people disguised as spies in areas where the army is currently engaged in an operation against terrorists,” the statement read.
It said that soon after the court had issued notices, the intelligence agencies swung into action and launched an operation against the groups and arrested around 25 terrorists, including the 11 prisoners.
“The prisoners are high-profile terrorists having links with terrorist groups and are masterminds of various terrorist attacks, including a rocket attack on the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, firing anti-aircraft shots at a plane carrying former president Pervez Musharraf, conducting suicide attacks on a bus of an intelligence agency in Rawalpindi and at the main entrance of the GHQ, bomb blasts at the Rawalpindi Parade Lane mosque and killing a number of senior army personnel,” the statement claimed. It rejected the perception that the army, ISI or any other intelligence agencies was not amenable to the SC’s jurisdiction, adding that these institutions completely submitted to the constitution and the court’s authority.
“Certain elements, while playing in the hands of the enemies, always defame the ISI as if the institution has no respect for law and always considers itself above it,” the statement maintained.
The court adjourned further hearing until the first week of January after receiving the written statement. Also, the court directed the counsel to arrange meetings of the 11 missing prisoners with their families.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was hearing the case of the 11 missing prisoners of Adiala Jail. According to the statement, the agencies had “recovered” the men from terrorist camps and were now being interrogated for masterminding terrorism campaigns, after which they would be tried under the Army Act 1952.
“These prisoners belong to a well-knit group of terrorists and were taken to their hideouts by people disguised as spies in areas where the army is currently engaged in an operation against terrorists,” the statement read.
It said that soon after the court had issued notices, the intelligence agencies swung into action and launched an operation against the groups and arrested around 25 terrorists, including the 11 prisoners.
“The prisoners are high-profile terrorists having links with terrorist groups and are masterminds of various terrorist attacks, including a rocket attack on the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, firing anti-aircraft shots at a plane carrying former president Pervez Musharraf, conducting suicide attacks on a bus of an intelligence agency in Rawalpindi and at the main entrance of the GHQ, bomb blasts at the Rawalpindi Parade Lane mosque and killing a number of senior army personnel,” the statement claimed. It rejected the perception that the army, ISI or any other intelligence agencies was not amenable to the SC’s jurisdiction, adding that these institutions completely submitted to the constitution and the court’s authority.
“Certain elements, while playing in the hands of the enemies, always defame the ISI as if the institution has no respect for law and always considers itself above it,” the statement maintained.
