Nine convicted for murder of Pakistan Army’s surgeon general
November 16th, 2010 - 9:17 pm ICT by IANSBy Awais Saleem
Islamabad, Nov 16 (IANS) An anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindi Tuesday convicted nine persons of charges of assassinating then surgeon general of Pakistan Army Lt Gen Mushtaq Ahmad Baig in 2008.
The suspected terrorists were arrested from the Dhok Lakhan village of Rawalpindi near Islamabad in 2008. They were carrying over 100 kg of explosive material, pistols, 75 detonators, bombs and other sensitive material.
They were also charged with carrying out terror strikes in Rawalpindi and Lahore, Express TV reported.
The anti-terrorist court, in the initial trial, had acquitted the accused of any charge in May 2010 but the trial re-started after the Punjab government decided to go in appeal. Finally, the court convicted the nine and sentenced them to 10 years each in prison besides a fine of Rs.20,000 each. The court also ordered confiscation of their properties.
Surgeon general of Pakistan Army Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig was killed in a suicide blast that targeted his official vehicle in February 2008 when he was returning from office.
His driver and a security guard also died in the attack that was carried out when the car stopped at a signal in Rawalpindi’s busy cantonment area.
Pakistan Army has been involved in a major crackdown against the militants in Pakistan’s northwestern areas near Afghanistan. Consequently, the militants have carried out target bombings in urban areas and Mushtaq Baig was the highest-ranking military officer to have been targeted in such attacks.
(Awais Saleem can be contacted at ians.pakistan@gmail.com)
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Tags: ahmad baig, army lt, awais, cantonment area, confiscation, detonators, explosive material, gmail, initial trial, military officer, mushtaq, northwestern areas, pakistan army, punjab government, rawalpindi, saleem, sensitive material, surgeon general, target, terror strikes