Ex Pak army commando turned Al Qaeda member acquitted of murder of Lahore hospital official

Islamabad, Mar 22(ANI): Former Pakistan Army commando Major (r) Haroon Ashiq, who became a key al-Qaeda operative and allegedly planned the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, has been acquitted by an Anti-Terrorism Court in a murder case, with witnesses withdrawing their testimony over reprisal fears.

Major (retd) Harron has been acquitted of the charges of killing Dr Abdul Saboor Malik, the administrator of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Lahore after both the prosecution witnesses retracted their testimonies, apparently under pressure.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Arif Hameed Sheikh ordered the release of Major (retd) Haroon, and his two accomplices, Nawaz Khan and Waheed Rasheed due to lack of evidence despite Harron had admitted to the killing in an earlier confessional statement.

Haroon was being tried by a court for allegedly masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks, The Daily Times reports.

The courts have failed to convict a single terrorist during the last three years over the dozens of high-profile terror attacks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad between 2007 and 2010. (ANI)