ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday directed SSP Islamabad to take PTI chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri into custody and produce them before the court in the SSP Asmatullah Junejo attack case.

The directions came in response to a report filed by the Secretariat police SHO, Inspector Muhammad Yaseen Bhutta, which says that the arrest warrants for Khan and Qadri could not be executed as the accused were not available at their respective residences.

The court expressed displeasure over the report and directed the SSP to appear in person before the court. The court remarked that the suspects were publically addressing rallies but the police could not find them.

Earlier, the ATC had issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri with directions to the police to produce them before the court on next date of hearing.

The SSP was brutally beat up by protesters on Constitution Avenue on Sept 1, 2014, less than 24 hours after assuming the job as SSP Operations of the capital police.

The Secretariat police had registered the case against several PTI and PAT workers for their alleged involvement in vandalism and attacking SSP Junejo.

In November 2014, ATC had declared Khan and Qadri as proclaimed offender in the case and directed the police to produce them before the court.

Published in Dawn September 21st, 2016