PESHAWAR: Family members on Wednesday challenged the recent arrest of a suspected suicide vest maker in the Peshawar High Court insisting they handed the young person over to security forces in Hangu district in the presence of local elders lately.

According to them, suspect Abdul Baseer was arrested by security forces earlier in 2010 but was freed a year later for being found to be innocent.

Recently, he was granted bail by a Peshawar anti-terrorism court in a case following the acquittal of the prime suspect.

In a habeas corpus petition filed with the high court, the suspect’s brother, Musawar Khan, said his brother was innocent and the information provided to the media by security agencies was false and misleading.

Insists suspect was handed over to forces in presence of local elders lately

He asked the court to issue orders for the brother’s production and release saying he had been illegally detained.

The media had reported on Feb 22 that Abdul Baseer was arrested by security forces after a chase in Doaba area of Hangu district.

It added that the suspect was involved in the Army Public School Peshawar massacre as he had prepared the suicide vests used in it. The media, quoting security sources, reported the detainee carried the Rs5 million head money and that two of his brothers were also involved in acts of terrorism.

The petitioner disputed the reports saying neither his brother was carrying any head money nor were the two names suggested as his brothers correct.

He said contrary to the media reports that the suspect was arrested while trying to flee, members of his family handed him over to the forces on Feb 21 in the presence of local elders in Hangu.

The petitioner said the family had sanitary and electronics shops in Doaba, where the suspect worked.

He said first his detained brother was taken away by security forces on April 17, 2010, but was freed on June 16, 2011, as he was found to be innocent.

He said on Jan 7, 2015, he was again taken into custody on charges of being involved in a case registered on May 6, 2010, at Town police station in Peshawar.

In that case, suspect Mohammad Anwar was arrested on charges of carrying a suicide vest.

During initial interrogation, Mohammad Anwar named Haroonur Rasheed as his accomplice.

The police claimed that during interrogation Haroon said Abdul baser was also their companion. During trial Haroon was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court and appeal filed by the state was also dismissed by the high court.

The petitioner said the ATC Peshawar on Feb 4 granted bail to the detainee on condition of furnishing two local sureties of Rs0.2 million each.

He said as they were not having two local sureties, therefore, they deposited the bail amount of Rs0.4 million in the government treasury following which the detainee was set free from Peshawar Central Prison.

Few days after his release, the petitioner said some army officials visited their residence and asked them that they want to interview the detainee, therefore he should be handed over to them.

He added that on Feb 21, they took him to Fazalullah checkpost in Doaba and handed him over to the in charge. He, however, said to their utter surprise the next day they found out exaggerated information about the detainee in the media.

The respondents in the petition are the head of Fazalullah checkpost in Doaba, the Hangu deputy commissioner, provincial home secretary, defence and interior secretaries, Inter-Services Intelligence director general, and Intelligence Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2015

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