Court hands down concurrent five-year terms and heavy fines after intelligence-based raid in Mohmand recovers weapons, mines and grenades.
An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has convicted five people, including a juvenile, on multiple terrorism-related charges and sentenced each to a maximum of five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of 11 million Pakistani rupees.
Judge Wali Mohammad Khan ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved its case against Rifaqullah, Kamran Faraz, Usman Ali, Mubashir Ghani and the unnamed juvenile. The court ordered that the various prison terms imposed under different sections of the law would run concurrently. In the juvenile’s case, the anti-terrorism court conducted the trial while acting in the capacity of a juvenile court, in line with legal requirements for minors.
Five other individuals named in the case-Mehmood Shah, Qari Ehtesham, Bilal, Abdul Kabeer Khan and Murad-were declared proclaimed offenders. The court issued perpetual arrest warrants for them.
The case originates from an FIR registered on 11 November 2024 at the Counter-Terrorism Department police station in Mohmand district. The accused faced charges under several provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, including section 11-F (membership of a proscribed organisation), section 11-N (funding or fundraising for terrorism), section 21-C (imparting or receiving training for terrorism) and section 21-I (aiding or abetting a terrorism offence), as well as section 15 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Arms Act.
Militant Arrests and Court Proceedings:
According to senior public prosecutor Manzoor Alam Khan, the five were arrested during an intelligence-based operation. A deputy superintendent of police from the Counter-Terrorism Department, supported by Elite Force personnel and a bomb disposal squad, was conducting patrols in the Yakka Ghund area when they received information about a group of alleged militants gathered in a deserted house inside a refugee camp. The suspects were reportedly planning terrorist activities.
When the team raided the house, five armed men were found in one of the rooms. They surrendered after being challenged. From their possession, officers recovered small machine guns, pistols and assorted ammunition. Further searches of the site uncovered buried items: five anti-personnel mines, three hand grenades and another pistol.
Investigators later determined that the arrested men belonged to a proscribed organisation. The five absconders were identified by the detained suspects as their accomplices during interrogation.
The convictions mark another instance of Pakistan’s anti-terrorism courts handling cases that intersect with juvenile justice procedures. Under the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018, minors charged with serious offences, including those under the Anti-Terrorism Act, are to be tried with appropriate safeguards, a principle previously affirmed by the Peshawar High Court in earlier rulings. The decision to have the anti-terrorism court itself sit as a juvenile court in this matter reflects that framework.
Court Verdict and Ongoing Security Operations:
Mohmand, a former tribal district now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has long been a focus of security operations against militant networks. Recoveries of explosives such as anti-personnel mines and hand grenades, alongside automatic weapons, underscore the material risks security forces continue to confront in the region. The case also highlights the ongoing challenge of absconding suspects in terrorism prosecutions, with perpetual warrants intended to keep pressure on those still at large.
The five convicted men now face the dual burden of imprisonment and substantial financial penalties. Their concurrent sentences mean the effective prison time will not exceed five years, though the heavy fines add a significant punitive element. The juvenile’s exact age and personal details were not publicly disclosed, consistent with standard practice aimed at protecting the identity of minors in such proceedings.
This verdict comes amid continued efforts by Pakistani authorities to dismantle networks linked to banned groups through a combination of intelligence-led raids and specialised court processes. While the immediate operation in Yakka Ghund prevented the alleged planning from advancing further, the presence of absconders leaves open questions about the wider network’s remaining capacity.