Pakistan court indicts 6 Lashkar-e- Jhanghvi men in 2009 Sri Lanka team attack case

Lahore:Six members of outlawed Lashkar-e- Jhanghvi (LeJ) terror group were today indicted by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court here in the 2009 Sri Lankan cricket team attack case.

The LeJ suspects who have been charged by the court are Obaidullah, Javed Anwar, Ibrahim Khalil, Abdul Wahab, Zubair and Adnan Arshad. The first three suspects were on bail while the remaining are languishing in Kot Lakhpat Jail. The suspects pleaded not guilty.

The court summoned prosecution witnesses on June 30. The court had already declared two suspects – Mohsin Rasheed and Abdul Rehman – proclaimed offenders. LeJ chief, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed last year during an ‘encounter’ with the counter-terrorism department.

In March 2009, the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by the Taliban and LeJ militants with sophisticated weapons and grenades at Liberty Chowk, near Qaddafi Stadium Lahore.

Seven players including captain Mahela Jayawaredene, his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas had sustained injuries while six Pakistani policemen escorting policemen were killed in the attack.

PTI