ISLAMABAD - Six high-profile terrorism-related cases from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are pending with the Interior Ministry for scrutiny as it has already sent 20 cases from all the four provinces to the newly set-up military courts for speedy trial.
The ICT administration and Islamabad police had selected 6 out of 40 cases under trial at the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Islamabad and sent them to the Interior Ministry so that it could forward them to the military courts. According to the sources in the ICT police, these cases include assault on NATO container by the terrorists in 2010 in the limits of Sihala Police Station, murder of Federal Investigation Agency’s prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar who was ambushed in 2013 in Sector G-9 of the capital falling in the limits of Margalla Police Station, case of the lone gunman Muhammad Sikandar who held the capital hostage for 6 hours on August 15, 2013 in the limits of Kohsar Police Station, Ali Masjid Blast Barakahu in the limits of Barakahu Police Station, former federal minister Shahbaz Bhatti’s murder case who was ambushed in Sector I-8 in 2011 in the limits of Industrial Area Police Station, and assault at police party by the TTP terrorists in 2014 in the limits of Koral Police Station. However, F-8 Kutchehry attack case and Sabzi Mandi blast case are not on the list of cases sent to the Interior Ministry, the sources added.
Assault on NATO container by terrorists: Sihala police registered the case (FIR# 212/10) under section 302, 324, 435, 427, 148, 149 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for assaulting the NATO containers by the terrorists. In connection with this case, Ali Imran and two other accused were arrested and they are in judicial custody at present. 17 out of 30 witnesses have been examined so far and the rest are yet to be examined as the ATC Islamabad heard the case.
Ch. Zulfiqar murder case: Margalla police registered the case (State versus Omar Abdullah- FIR # 233/13) under section 302, 324, 427, 337/F-2/34 of the PPC. In connection with this case, three accused were arrested. Omer Abdullah is on bail while the other two are in judicial custody.
Sikandar case: Kohsar police registered the case (FIR# 398/13) under section 324, 506/2, 341, 353, 186, 279, 427, 341, 353, 186, 279, 427, 34, 109 of the PPC and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).  All the 30 witnesses in this case are yet to be examined as Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad heard the case. Three persons were arrested in connection with this case. Two are on bail and Muhammad Sikandar is in judicial custody. On August 15, 2013, the lone gunman, later identified as Sikandar, kept the federal capital hostage for over six hours, exposing the lack of preparedness of the Islamabad police against terror attacks. After six hours of police inaction, the drama ended when the Pakistan People’s Party’s leader Zamurrad Khan, who was negotiating with the gunman, put his life at risk and made an unsuccessful attempt to get control over the gunman.
Ali Masjid Barakahu blast case: Barakahu police registered the case (FIR # 271/13) under section 302 of the PPC and 7-ATA. In connection with this case, the police had arrested six accused. Five are in judicial lockup and one female accused is on bail. Three accused are yet to be arrested.
Shahbaz Bhatti murder case: The Industrial Area police registered the case (State versus Hammad Hussain- FIR# 94/11) under section 302/34 of the PPC and 7-ATA. Two accused, including Aadil were arrested and are in judicial custody at present. Bhatti, a Catholic who vocally opposed the blasphemy law, had been gunned down outside his residence in I-8/3 sector of Islamabad by three unidentified gunmen in March 2011. Dr Paul Bhatti, brother of Shabaz Bhatti and an ex-federal minister himself had later left Pakistan to save his life after receiving threats from the ‘Fidayaan-e-Mohammad, Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’.
Assault at police by the TTP terrorists: Koral police registered the case (State versus Sajidullah-FIR# 76/14) under section 324 of the PPC, 4/5 ESA, section 15 of Protection of Pakistan Ordinance and 7-ATA. Nine accused were arrested in connection with this case, 6 are on bail while 3 are in judicial custody.
Previously, all these six cases were under trial at the Anti-Terrorist Courts of Islamabad. As soon as the Interior Ministry approves these cases for sending to the military court, the relevant record would also be sent to the military court. “Military court for the ICT is yet to be established,” the sources said, adding a four-member committee after examining the investigation reports and evidence in these cases had sent them to the Interior Ministry.