LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday granted three-day physical remand of three supposed workers of the PML-N to police for their involvement in hurling eggs and ink at Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on his arrival at the Lahore High Court.

The Old Anarkali police had registered a case after arresting the workers immediately after the incident. The arrested men were later identified as Ghulam Abbas, Attiq and Tariq. Police presented the suspects before the magistrate and sought their seven-day physical remand to complete investigation of the case.

Magistrate Waseem Iftikhar, however, allowed three-day remand and directed police to produce them again on March 19.

Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan of the Lahore High Court also took notice of the incident and directed police to act strictly in accordance with law. The judge directed police to identify the perpetrators with the help of CCTV footages and ensure that no innocent was punished. The judge observed that the incident was condemnable.

Mr Gill had appeared before the court of Justice Khan the other day in a petition challenging an FIR lodged by the Islampura police on his complaint. Tahir Mobeen and two Turkish citizens -- Cemil Senocak and Yemen Yemenoglu -- had filed the petition. The petitioners contended that the SAPM used his political position to get the fabricated case registered against them.

A criminal complaint under defamation charge is also pending against Gill by M/s Platform Turizm Tasimacilik, a subsidiary of Albayrak Group of companies. The company sought action against the prime minister’s special assistant under section 499 and 500 of Pakistan Penal Code for leveling false allegations against it.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2021