RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday sent 53 workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek to Adiala jail.

They had been in police custody since their arrest on June 23 from airport area where they gathered to receive their leader Tahirul Qadri, but his flight was diverted to Lahore.

Meanwhile, police teams will be sent to Mianwali, Bhakkar and Sadiqabad to arrest other suspects of violence on June 23.

The police investigating officer said the names of the suspects were revealed by the PAT activists during interrogation.

As many as 1,300 PAT workers had been booked by the police under Anti-Terrorism Act and on charges of violence and robbery.

However, 53 were arrested by the police on the charges of attacking the police, damaging an armoured personnel carrier and creating law and order situation on the arrival of their chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Police have been trying to find out the mastermind who brought the protesters from other parts of the province to Rawalpindi.

During interrogation, the PAT workers said they came to Rawalpindi only to receive Dr Qadri but got involved in violence hence were caught by the police.

It has emerged during the interrogation that some of the (PAT) protesters were carrying stone-filled laptop bags given to the students by the Punjab government under Shahbaz Sharif’s laptop scheme. Police said the police had recovered batons and large size needles from the custody of arrested activists.

The protesters used the large size needles to flatten the tyres of Armored Personnel Carrier van of the police while battling with them.

Police were still searching for weapons and two wireless sets one of Qasir Shahzad’s of Special Branch and his two cell phones. A sub-inspector associated with Special Branch Rawalpindi also lost his wireless set when the PAT workers attacked the police at the gate of the BBIA.

Missing of two wireless sets was more worrying for the police as it will help the miscreants to know about police activities.

Published in Dawn, July 5th , 2014