An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan is likley to charge Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the head of a banned extremist group and father-in-law of the Taliban chief.
The court heard two terrorism cases against Tanzeem-e- Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi who is accused of an attack on a police station in Swat district of Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province and delivering speeches against Pakistan.
He has been acquitted in many cases due to lack of evidences. He is father-in-law of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah, who is hiding in Afghanistan.
After hearing, the court fixed January 31 for framing charges against Maulana Sufi and adjourned the hearing.
In earlier proceedings of the court which was held on November 22 last year, the court had acquitted Sufi and his 30 associates in two terrorism cases.
The cases were related to attacks on a Frontier Corps convoy and a Swat police station around 19 years ago. However, Sufi remained in the jail for facing two more cases.
The trial of Sufi in different terrorism cases have been conducted inside the Peshawar Central prison for security reasons.
He has been kept there since 2009 when final phase of military operation against militants was launched in Malakand region.
Earlier, Sufi and many of his associates were acquitted by the anti-terrorism court in 10 cases of terrorism and a trial in two cases is pending.
Most of the cases against Sufi were registered in 1994 and afterwards when his outfit stepped up its movement for Shariah enforcement in Malakand division.
However, the successive governments did not try him in those cases and thus, resulting in legal complications like witnesses and co-accused of some cases had either died or were not traceable.
The earlier cases in which Sufi was acquitted pertained to hatching conspiracy against the state, attack against government institutions in parts of Swat over 18 years ago and speeches which were incited to violence against the rulers including then president Pervez Musharraf.
In October 2001, following the 9/11 attacks, Sufi crossed into Afghanistan with thousands of his followers to help the Taliban fight the US-led forces.
After the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001, he returned to Pakistan and was arrested.
