Five American terror suspects facing trial in Pak ’set up’ by police, say lawyers

SARGODHA - Lawyers for five American men facing trial in Pakistan on terrorism charges claim that they can show that the police had fabricated evidence.

The five men, Umer Farooq, Waqar Hussain Khan, Ramy Zamzam, Ahmed Minni and Aman Hassan Yemer were arrested in Sargodha in December last year.

They have been charged under anti-terrorism laws for funnelling money to outlaws and plotting a terror attack that could see them jailed for life if found guilty.

Defence lawyer Hasan Dastagir Katchela said that they will argue the evidence provided by the police, and prove that the five could not have made email contact with a Pakistani extremist linked to Al-Qaida in the way the police claim.

Lawyers will also question the police claims about the date of the men’s arrest and allege that they misrepresented it in order to allow for inconsistencies in the evidence, he said.By the ninth, the police had made up their mind what they were going to plant on these boys, because they had nothing on them. There are going to be some massive surprises (in court),” The Guardian quoted defence lawyer Katchela, as saying.

Meanwhile, Usman Anwar, Sargodha Police Chief, said the emails were genuine and “clearly show their evil intentions”.

He also denied the allegations of abuse, adding that the men had been “advised by their lawyers to make a hue and cry” to gain public sympathy.

The trial of the men resumes on Saturday. (ANI)