Samjhota Express blast: FO lodges strong protest with Indian HC against suspects’ acquittal

ISLAMABAD: Acting Foreign Secretary at the Foreign Office summoned Indian High Commissioner on Wednesday and lodged strong protest and condemnation against the acquittal of four accused in the Samjhota Express terror attacks.

In a statement, the FO stated that Pakistan had consistently raised the lack of progress on Indian attempts to exonerate the accused in the heinous terrorist act.

Acting FS stressed that Pakistan raised the issue repeatedly with the senior officials, including at the Heart of Asia meeting in 2016.

“Formal demarches were also lodged regularly with India on the lack of progress and acquittal of the accused in other cases,” said the FO.

The FS stated that the acquittal of the accused exposed the sham credibility of the Indian courts.

The FO statement said that India levels allegations of terrorism against Pakistan, while protecting with impunity, those terrorists who confessed to their crimes publicly.

The FS asked India to explore judicial remedies to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

An Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted four suspects in Samjhota Express blast in 2007 that had killed 70, including 42 Pakistanis.

Prime suspect Swami Aseemanand among three others was acquitted in the terror attack on the train, which was going to Lahore from New Delhi.

According to the Indian Express report, NIA Counsel RK Handa said that the court concluded that the investigating agency failed to prove the conspiracy charge and the accused ‘deserved a benefit of doubt’.