AN angry MP last night promised to go to the top to find out why a mass killer has been freed.
Huddersfield’s Barry Sheerman pledged to seek meetings with Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary William Hague in his battle for justice over the Birkby fire killings.
He and others are furious that petrol-bomber Nazar Hussain has been freed after eight years – despite being jailed for 18 years for the manslaughter of eight people.
So far the MP has been unable to find out from the Parole Board how they made the decision to free Hussain when his recommended sentence was for at least 12 out of the 18 years.
Now he has submitted a formal request for access to the papers, but is also anxious to speak to ministers about the case and that of Shahid Mohammed.
Mohammed was one of Hussain’s accomplices when the gang targeted a family home in Osborne Road, Birkby, in May 2002.
Their arson attack left eight people dead – five of them young children.
But Shahid Mohammed fled and is now thought to be in Pakistan.
Survivors of the attack have met Mr Sheerman and told him the decision had been made despite their strong objections being lodged with the Parole Board.
Mr Sheerman said: “The Parole Board are hiding behind data protection laws, but I will not let this drop. It is wrong that a man guilty of such crimes is freed before his recommended time in prison and at a time when one of the other suspects has not been brought to justice.
“There should have been no deal to free any of the men jailed for the attack until the other fugitive had been brought to justice.
“I will be getting in touch with Theresa May about my concerns over the Parole Board decision and with William Hague over the lack of action of sorting out an arrangement with Pakistan to find Shahid Mohammed and bring him back to the UK to face the courts.
“I am determined to fight on on both these fronts”.
He said one of the Parole Board decisions regarding Nazar Hussain had been to restrict his movements while out on licence, but it was a scandal.
“I have been shown a map of where he is and is not allowed to go and it is ridiculous.
“He can got to Holmfirth, he can go to Brighouse and he can go to Dewsbury and the only exception is that he cannot walk the streets of Huddersfield.
“This man should never be allowed back into any part of West Yorkshire, where feelings are still so raw about this horrific crime”.
Mohammed Shafiq, who escaped the inferno, which swept through his home, said: “We cannot believe this man is free.He should never have been released.”
Hussain, of Dryclough Road, Crosland Moor, was convicted of eight counts of manslaughter in 2003 and jailed for 18 years.
Sentenced alongside Hussain after their trial were Shaied Iqbal, of Springdale Road, Thornton Lodge, and Shakiel Amir Shazad, of Gledholt Road, Huddersfield.
Iqbal was the instigator of the attack and was jailed for life after he was convicted of eight murder counts and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit arson.
Shazad was jailed for 18 years after he was convicted of eight manslaughter counts and conspiracy to commit arson. He was also convicted of arson with intent to endanger life.
Hussain, 33, had earlier appealed on grounds that the overall sentence was four years too long, but lost the appeal.
Those killed in the fire included Nafeesa Aziz, 35, along with her five young daughters: Tayyaba Batool, 13; Rabiah Batool, 10; Ateeqa Nawaz, six; Aneesa Nawaz, two, and Najeeba Nawaz, six months.
Nafeesa’s brother, Mohammed Ateeq-ur-Rehman, 18, also died in the flames. Their mother, Zaib-u-Nisa, 54, died later in hospital after leaping from a window. Three other occupants were able to escape the conflagration.
Some offenders sentenced before the Criminal Justice Act 2003 become eligible for parole half way through their sentence. Any prisoner sentenced to more than 12 months is released from prison on licence.
