Karachi:
A Pakistani man, who was sentenced to death for masterminding the 2002 suicide bombing outside a five-star hotel here that killed 14 people including 11 Frenchmen, has been acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi due to lack of evidence.
The accused, Muhammad Sohail alias Akram who was described as a member of the banned Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-alami outfit, was acquitted on Friday after judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the suspect beyond any reasonable doubt.
The May 2002 attack, which took place just outside the Sheraton hotel, had also forced the visiting New Zealand cricket team that was staying at some other place nearby to abandon the test tour of Pakistan.
Out of the 14 people killed were 11 Frenchmen, most of whom were naval engineers, the highest number of Westerners to have died in a single attack in the country.
Justice Memon gave his verdict after listening to testimonies of witnesses and final arguments of both sides.
Sohail was sentenced to death in absentia in 2003, but was arrested in 2007 and faced trial.
Sindh Attorney General Yousuf Leghari said the government would challenge the verdict in the High Court soon.
The trial court had earlier sentenced two other co-accused Asif Zaheer and Muhammad Rizwan, said to be members of the same banned outfit, to death in June 2003 for their involvement in the attack.
However ,the two challenged the verdict in the Sindh High Court, which in May this year set aside the ruling of the trial court and acquitted them.
The accused, Muhammad Sohail alias Akram who was described as a member of the banned Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-alami outfit, was acquitted on Friday after judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the suspect beyond any reasonable doubt.
The May 2002 attack, which took place just outside the Sheraton hotel, had also forced the visiting New Zealand cricket team that was staying at some other place nearby to abandon the test tour of Pakistan.
Out of the 14 people killed were 11 Frenchmen, most of whom were naval engineers, the highest number of Westerners to have died in a single attack in the country.
Justice Memon gave his verdict after listening to testimonies of witnesses and final arguments of both sides.
Sohail was sentenced to death in absentia in 2003, but was arrested in 2007 and faced trial.
Sindh Attorney General Yousuf Leghari said the government would challenge the verdict in the High Court soon.
The trial court had earlier sentenced two other co-accused Asif Zaheer and Muhammad Rizwan, said to be members of the same banned outfit, to death in June 2003 for their involvement in the attack.
However ,the two challenged the verdict in the Sindh High Court, which in May this year set aside the ruling of the trial court and acquitted them.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
