CHAKWAL: A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court handed over two Ahmadi men from Dulmial to the police for 14 day physical remand, police sources told Dawn on Sunday.

Malik Riaz Ahmed and Malik Ansar are two of the main suspects from the Ahmadi community involved in a mob attack that occurred on Dec 12. According to an FIR about the attack, they opened fire at a mob that besieged an Ahmadi place of worship, killing one person and injuring three.

The same court has already sent 29 Muslim suspects to judicial lockups.

The Punjab government has also set up a joint investigation team (JIT) staffed with police and intelligence officials. The team, which is headed by Additional Inspector General of Police Shoaib Dastgeer, has reached Chakwal and begun their investigation, an official said. The official said the JIT will present a report within a month. “The government is taking this incident as a top priority. All the culprits involved in the incident will be brought to the book.”

District Coordination Officer Mehmood Javed Bhatti and District Police Officer Munir Masood Marath visited Dulmial and met with villagers.

“We urged the villagers to lift the atmosphere of tension and panic. We asked them to open their shops and schools; to resume their usual activities,” Mr Bhatti said. He added that there are only two schools in the area that have been closed, because army, Rangers and police personnel are staying there.

The DCO also went to the Tatral Kahoon village, where he attended the Rasm-i-Qul of Naeem Shafique, a Muslim man who was killed in the Dec 12 violence. The head of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasoolullah, Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali, who was also present, and Mr Bhatti gave Shafique’s heirs Rs100,000.

The DCO said: “I gave the poor parents Rs100,000 from my own pocket, as they lost the family’s breadwinner.” The Chakwal District Bar Association also held a strike over the Dulmial incident, and lawyers expressed solidarity with the Muslims.

Published in Dawn December 19th, 2016