Pakistani court acquits two in killing of 11 French

KARACHI, May 5 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court set free on Tuesday two men sentenced to death for planning the killing of 11 French navy engineers in a 2002 bomb attack in the city of Karachi, a defence lawyer said.

The acquittal of the two could raise questions about Pakistan's commitment to tackling surging militancy and comes as President Asif Ali Zardari prepares for security talks in Washington with President Barack Obama.

The two men, Asif Zaheer and Mohammad Rizwan, were accused of belonging to the Harkatul Mujahideen al-Aalmi, an al Qaeda-linked militant group accused of carrying out the attack outside the Sheraton Hotel, which also killed two Pakistanis.

"The court has ruled that the prosecution has failed to prove the case against my clients," defence lawyer Mohammad Farooq told Reuters.

The two men were arrested in December 2002 and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in 2003.

They later challenged that decision.

Farooq said the court had ordered that the two be released if they were not wanted in connection with any other case.

A security analyst said the court ruling could undermine the credibility of the courts as well as the confidence of foreigners, including investors. link...