Pakistan court drops charge in London plot case

ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (Reuters) A Pakistani court dropped terrorism charges today against a Pakistani-British dual national suspected of being a key figure in a plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean, his lawyer said.

British police said in August they had foiled a plot to carry out suicide bombings on airliners travelling from London to the United States.

Days later, Pakistan announced it had arrested a ''key person'' in the plot, Rashid Rauf, who a Pakistani official said had been in contact with an al Qaeda operative in Afghanistan.

Rauf's lawyer, Hashmat Habib, said an anti-terrorism court in the city of Rawalpindi had found no evidence of terrorism against the suspect.

''The court has dropped charges of terrorism against him,'' Habib told Reuters. ''It's a big decision''.

Rauf was still in detention and faced other charges including impersonation, forging documents and possessing explosives. A civil court would begin a hearing into those charges on December 20, he said.

British police said on August 10 they had foiled a plot to use liquid explosives to bring down several airliners on their way from Britain to the United States. They arrested 25 men for questioning.

Pakistan later said it had arrested seven people, including two British Muslims of Pakistani descent, one identified as Rauf, in connection with the plot.

Rauf is the only suspect who has been identified.

Britain had also sought his extradition and Pakistan had said at the time it was considering the request.

According to reports, Rauf had left Britain and travelled to Pakistan in 2002 after the murder in Britain of an uncle.

A British official in Pakistan said the extradition request had been in connection with an investigation into the murder.

REUTERS BDP BST1556