KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court on Friday extended the police remand of five suspects in the DHA shootout case till May 27.

Salman Abro, the prime suspect and son of a superintendent of police, along with police guards of his father has been booked for allegedly killing his 18-year-old classmate Suleman Lashari and wounding his private guard after breaking into the victim’s house on the night of May 8. He also sustained wounds and one of his guards was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

The police produced Salman and four police guards — Yasin Jamali, Imran Ali, Maqbool Brohi and Mohammad Rashid — in court. The prime suspect was brought on a wheelchair.

The investigation officer sought an extension in the police remand of the suspects stating that a joint investigation team (JIT) was to interrogate them on May 26.

However, defence lawyer Abdul Razzak opposed the extension and argued that the suspects had been in police custody for over two weeks and the investigation should have been completed.

He also moved an application asking the court to punish the IO for contempt of court stating that under the anti-terrorism law a joint investigation team had to complete the investigation within a week. Therefore, the IO should have submitted the JIT report by May 15 which he did not.

The public prosecutor, Abdul Maroof, submitted that the law had been amended last year and the JIT had become optional, while the time for submission of the investigation report was 30 days.

He submitted that the remand could also be granted up to 90 days and asked the court to extend the custody of the suspects for a week.

Judge Saleem Raza Baloch extended the police remand of the suspects for four days and directed the IO to produce them on the next date with a progress report.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupee) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on a complaint of a brother of the deceased at the Darakhshan police station.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014