 | Since they haven't quite gotten around to ringing the bell to his front door ... |
QUETTA, Pakistan - A Pakistani court has sentenced top Taleban commander Mullah Dadullah to life in prison in absentia for attempting to kill Pakistani hard-line cleric and lawmaker Maulana Mohammed Khan Shirani last year, a lawyer said on Thursday.
Dadullah, who is believed hiding in a home in a posh district in Quetta or Islamabad or Karachi Afghanistan, was convicted on Wednesday by the court in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province. He had been charged with trying to assassinate Shirani in July 2004 as the lawmaker traveled on a road to his home constituency, said Kamran Murtaza, the lawyer for Shirani. Shirani, his three aides and his driver escaped unhurt.
Murtaza said Judge Abdul Ghayas also convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison three Afghan nationals - alleged supporters of Dadullah- and two Pakistanis who were present in the court and who proudly confessed to involvement in the attack. One Pakistani was acquitted for not trying lack of evidence, he said. Murtaza said the two convicted Pakistanis had told the court during the trial that they had carried out the attack against Shirani after receiving orders from Dadullah.
| "We dunnit, and we're glad we dunnit!" |
Shirani was the only man in his Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party who opposed the Taleban and criticised some of their actions. On Thursday, Shirani - who himself never blamed Dadullah for the attack - told The Associated Press that he had no idea why he had been attacked. âI donât know why these unfortunate people did it. I have no enmity with anyone,â he said.
| "Except Jooos. And Crusaders. And infidels. And the Hindoos, oh yes, the Hindooos. But other than that .. well, the Buddhists ... but I ... oh yes the Bihais, hate those shifty Bihais ... |
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