PM orders release of detained BNP cheif

QUETTA : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday ordered the release of Balochistan National Party (BNP) president Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, who has been under detention for last seven months. In his first address to the newly formed Balochistan cabinet here, the Prime Minister directed the authorities to withdraw all cases against the former chief minister.acquitted Mengal and BNP general secretary Habib Jalib advocate in treason cases and ordered the concerned officials to quash FIRs and exonerate them of the charges.

Mengal was arrested in September 2006 along with around 700 other political workers in a government crackdown in Balochistan.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai has The single-judge bench acquitted the BNP-M chief in one treason case and its secretary general in two similar cases.
During the hearing, Habib Jalib advocate contended that there was no sufficient evidence to connect him and his client with commission of the alleged offenses.
He argued that the treason cases registered against BNP-M chief and other Baloch nationalist leaders had no weight as they did not deliver speeches at the Nimaz-i-Jinaza in absentia for late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti at Ayub Stadium.
The counsel said the ex-information secretary of Jamhuri Watan Party (JWP) Amanullah Kanrani and ex-general secretary JWP Senator Agha Shahid Bugti had already been exonerated and the FIRs against them had also been quashed.
The bench disposed of the three criminal quashment applications and ordered the concerned officials to revoke the FIRs registered with New Sariab, Sariab and Civil Line police stations.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Habib Jalib filed criminal quashment applications in May 2007, challenging the FIRs registered against them after Ghaibana Nimaz-i-Jinaza of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in the provincial capital on August 30, 2006.
Meanwhile, the bench adjourned hearing of three other treason cases against Sardar Akhtar Mengal till May 9. It also adjourned hearing of treason cases against Habib Jalib, Khalid Longov, ex-MPA Akhtar Hussain Longov, Abdul Razaq Longov, Ghulam Nabi Marri, Ali Ahmed Kurd and Suhail Rajpoot advocate till May 9.
The adjournment came when Habib Jalib sought time to submit copy of judgement of the lower court in which co-accused had been acquitted in the same cases.
Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani had announced withdrawal of cases against Sardar Akhtar Mengal on April 21.