LAHORE: Allowing an application of four prime suspects in Christian couple’s lynching, an anti-terrorism court on Wednesday directed Kot Radha Kishan police to interrogate the suspects in jail instead of the police station.

The suspects’ counsel argued the police brought their clients to police station from jail for interrogation. He said the lives of the suspects were in danger and there was a possibility of a mob attack at the police station. He asked the court to direct the police to interrogate the suspects in jail. The court allowed the application and adjourned hearing till Dec 12. The suspects included Yousaf Gujjar, Ghulam Husain, Mehand Jatt and Waris.

Victims Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama were bonded labourers at brick kiln of Yousaf. They were brutally killed by an angry mob on charges of blasphemy.

Model Town case: Faisal Town police has submitted challan of first FIR registered with regard to the Model Town incident to an anti-terrorism court declaring 50 suspects guilty of the charges.

Prime suspects of the FIR included Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Altaf Husain Shah, Mian Zahid Islam, Tanvir Sindhu, Sajid Mahmood, Sheikh Zahid and Haji Walayat.

Police in the challan mentioned that the court had already issued perpetual arrest warrants for the prime suspects for not attending the trial.

PTI workers: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (Punjab chapter) has approached the Lahore High Court against the alleged arrest of its workers in the province.

PTI’s Punjab president Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry filed a petition and alleged that the Punjab government had launched a crackdown on his party workers to stop them from participating in a grand sit-in on Nov 30 in Islamabad.

He said several workers had been taken into custody while many of them were being harassed by police.

He alleged that the police had been conducting raids on the houses of PTI workers. The petitioner asked the court to restrain the police from arresting and harassing PTI workers.

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014