HYDERABAD: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday remanded a journalist and president of the Sehwan Press Club in judicial custody for 14 days under the Antiterrorism Act for allegedly beating a policeman in the command and control room of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz’s shrine on Monday.

The Sehwan police registered an FIR (No. 119/17) on Monday night on complaint of Inspector Nisar Sahito, in-charge security branch, under Sections 186, 324, 147, 148, 159, 353, 506/2 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Those who are booked included Sehwan Press Club president Yasin Rind, Chan­esar Rind, Rashid Rind, Wajid Rind, Aijaz Rind, a nephew of Yasin Rind, Soof Kalhoro, Saddar Machhi and around eight others.

SSP Jamshoro Irfan Bahadur told Dawn that Yasin Rind along with his relatives and friends was asked by Zamir Panhwar, a constable of Special Branch, to move away from the female section of dhamal court of the shrine, which led to an altercation after which Zamir Panhwar was manhandled by them.

Aijaz Rind, the nephew of Yasin Rind, had entered the female section of the shrine, upon which he was asked by Constable Panhwar to leave the area.

This led to the altercation between Aijaz and Special Branch’s personnel.

Aijaz along with his fellows went after Panhwar, who had entered the shrine’s command and control room. They thrashed him there and dragged him out of the room, beating him severely.

A local journalist, Zulfiqar Solangi, said that Panhwar was taken to the taluka hospital for treatment.

The control room’s footage showed Yasin Rind in the room.

Yasin’s relatives, however, claimed that Yasin Rind had rushed to the room to bring the situation under control, but the police booked him in the FIR.

Advocate Mir Mangrio, who is engaged by Rind’s family for legal assistance, told Dawn that according to the FIR it was Aijaz who had scuffled with Zamir Panhwar after the latter objected to former’s presence in the women’s portion.

He said that it was not confirmed whether Yasin Rind had manhandled the policeman because his relatives claimed that he was there to avert an ugly situation.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2017