KARACHI: A judicial magistrate was informed on Tuesday that the Counter Terrorism Department had released three doctors after they were found innocent during the investigation of a case pertaining to providing treatment to wounded militants.

The three doctors — Saadullah Khan, Zubair Mirza and Rizwan — were booked for allegedly treating two wounded militants, Abdul Rehman and Abdullah, at their hospital in Bahadurabad in October.

Initially, the CTD claimed that the doctors had provided treatment to those militants affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan who got wounded in Afghanistan. The doctors had not informed the police, it was also alleged.

However, the police submitted a report under Section 169 (release of accused when evidence deficient) of the criminal procedure code in the court of a judicial magistrate (east) stating that the doctors were found innocent during the course of the investigation since they did not know that the wounded they were treating were militants.

It said that the administrative officer of the health facility got the wounded suspects admitted into the hospital.

According to the prosecution, the CTD had raided the Zubaida Medical Centre in Bahadurabad on Oct 5 and arrested two under-treatment suspected militants and some members of the staff for treating the suspects without informing the police.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2015