Afzal files mercy plea, says not given fair trial

Parliament attack convict Mohd Afzal who is facing death penalty in the case has finally petitioned President A P J Abdul Kalam for mercy.

In his 102-page mercy plea forwarded through authorities in Tihar jail where he is lodged, Afzal has claimed the case against him was fabricated and that he had not got a fair trial in the courts. Afzal had so far refused to file a clemency plea saying he had no hope of getting justice. His wife had petitioned to the President requesting mercy for him.

Afzal, in his petition, has denied that he was involved in the December 13 attack on Indian Parliament and said "I was entrapped by corrupt officers of the Special Task Force". He alleged that the timing, date and place of his arrest were fabricated. He rubbished police claim that he was arrested while travelling with another accused Shaukat Hussain and said the cops had picked him up from a Srinagar bus stop.

Distancing himself from the attack, Afzal said he did not feel that it had in any way helped the Kashmiri cause. "I do not think that the attack on Parliament served the cause of the Kashmiri people and I am genuinely sorry for the family members of those who died doing their duty," he added.

There was also reference to the "solidarity" shown by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This, he said, gave him hope of life.

Afzal also turned his ire on both India and Pakistan, which were "using" Kashmiri youth as "pawns" to further what he called was their political agenda.

He said that he and many others had picked up arms inspired by Omar Mukhtar's banned film Lion of the Desert. The movie portrayed the story of a teacher who was hanged to death for fighting for liberation of his people.

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