Release innocent Lal Masjid students, says Pakistan Supreme Court

Pakistan Supreme Court has expressed resentment over registration of cases against 134 people arrested from the Lal Masjid complex, and warned the district administration of contempt proceedings if the inquiry is not completed as per court orders and innocent students are not released.

Islamabad, July 19 : Pakistan Supreme Court has expressed resentment over registration of cases against 134 people arrested from the Lal Masjid complex, and warned the district administration of contempt proceedings if the inquiry is not completed as per court orders and innocent students are not released.

The warning came from a special bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Faqeer Muhammad Khokhar, conducting suo motu proceedings into the Lal Masjid case.

The bench observed that those who were not guilty should be immediately released "otherwise the bench would proceed against the authorities."

Justice Abbasi observed that the arrested madrassa students were in double jeopardy - on one hand they were used by the clerics and on the other they were at the mercy of police.

Justice Khokhar said that it was police, which maltreated innocent people until they became hardened criminals.

"We know as to how people are converted into criminals in our country," the Daily Times quoted him, as saying.

The court said that it would not accept any fake documentation and directed police to make sure that "innocent" people were not booked on bogus charges.

The court also directed the judge of anti-terrorism court to decide the bail applications of Tayyaba Dua and Asma Dua daughters of Maulana Abdul Aziz on merit.

ANI