KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday remanded in judicial custody 120 leaders and activists of the Sindh Action Committee (SAC) arrested for allegedly resorting to violence, ransacking and setting fire to private properties in Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) during their protest against the mega housing scheme.

Following Sunday’s violence, police had arrested the suspects and booked them in cases pertaining to torching restaurants, shops, vehicles and looting money from automated teller machines (ATMs).

On Wednesday, the investigating officer produced the suspects before the administrative judge of the ATCs upon expiry of their physical remand in police custody and requested the court to extend the same by 14 days for interrogation and investigation.

Turning down the request, the judge however remanded them in judicial custody and directed the IO to produce them before the court on next date along with an investigation report.

JSQM head Sanan Qureshi produced in court

The IO also produced a nationalist leader, Sanan Qureshi, along with four other suspects and requested the court to grant their 14-day physical remand in police custody for interrogation and investigation in the same case.

However, the judge remanded them in police custody for two days, directing the IO to produce them on next date along with an investigation report.

According to the FIR, the BTK security manager stated that some nationalist groups, including the Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh and Awami Tehreek on May 21 announced a protest against the BTK.

He stated that the nationalist leaders, including Qadir Magsi, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Sanan Qureshi, Jan Mohammad Junejo along with 8,000 to 10,000 people gathered outside the BTK main gate [on Sunday], where they delivered speeches against the project and allegedly incited their workers to violence.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021