28 April 2005	Thursday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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LAHORE, April 27: The Lahore High Court has observed that charges of terrorism against People’s Party workers should be adjudicated by a division bench. The court made a reference to the chief justice for the constitution of a division bench in the proceedings of a writ petition moved by former MPA Dr Ziaullah Bangash contending that the police added charges of terrorism against him and seven others after they were released on bail by a judicial magistrate.

Counsel for the petitioner stated that Dr Ziaullah Bangash, Ibadullah Butt, Shaikh Iqbal and five others were arrested by the Shadbagh police on April 13 and detained under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. A judicial magistrate released them on bail on April 15, but the police again raided their houses to arrest them after they added the offence of terrorism under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorist Act.

They requested the quashment of the FIR which said that the former MPA and others were delivering anti-government speeches at Gol Bagh on April 13, and this amounted to an effort to overthrow the government established under the law which was an act of terrorism.

The counsel submitted that the charge of making preparations to receive Asif Ali Zardari was in no way an act of terrorism nor was such a charge made out by delivering speeches against the government. He stated that the charges were a political victimization and contravened the fundamental right of freedom of movement and expression as enshrined in the Constitution.

released: A local anti-terrorist court on Wednesday ordered the release of 30 People’s Party workers from Sindh.

They were released upon adjudicating separate applications which said they were charged under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorist Act for political reasons.

The applicants stated they were arrested on April 16 from different parts of the city and placed under detention for a period of 90 days. They were allowed to be released on bail by a local judicial magistrate but were not set free for want of bail bonds which they said were being arranged.

According to the applicants, when the People’s Lawyers Forum members approached the magistrates’ courts for the submission of bail bonds, they were informed that the detenues were also charged with acts of terrorism and were to face the anti-terrorist court for trial.

Meanwhile, another anti-terrorist court served on the Punjab government notices for Thursday in the bail application moved by advocate Mian Jahangir on behalf of 28 more PPP activists. They made similar contentions in their applications stating that taking part in peaceful political activity could not be termed terrorism.

Former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and PPP MNA Syed Khurshid Ali Shah were present in the court which ordered the release of 30 party workers from their province.