LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday initiated the proceedings to declare at least 69 more leaders and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) proclaimed offenders (POs) in four cases of the May 9 riots for not surrendering to the law.

Naseerabad police filed an application before the court to declare 15 suspects including former federal ministers Hammad Azhar and Fawad Chaudhry, former provincial minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife Musarrat Iqbal Cheema proclaimed offenders in three cases of torching a container at Kalma Chowk and party offices of PML-N in Model Town.

The investigating officer stated that the suspects went into hiding and deliberately failed to join the investigation of the cases against them. He said non-bailable arrest warrants had already been issued against the suspects. He requested the court to start the proceedings under section 87 of CrPC to declare the suspects POs for not surrendering to the law.

The investigating officer of Sarwar Road police also filed a similar application requesting the court to initiate the proceedings to declare 54 suspects POs in case of attack on Jinnah House, which also serves as residence of Lahore’s corps commander.

The suspects also include women workers namely Kanwal Mahmood, Nosheen Hammad, Hajra Niazi, Anam Shaukat, Afsana Yasmin, Deeba Farhat and Sakina Saeed.

Judge Abher Gul Khan allowed both applications and ordered the prosecution to start the proceedings to declare the suspects POs in the cases.

Section 87 of the CrPC says if any court is satisfied after taking evidence that any person against whom a warrant has been issued by it, has absconded or is concealing himself so that such warrant cannot be executed, such court may publish a written proclamation requiring him to appear at a specified place and at a specified time not less than 30 days from the date of publishing such proclamation.

The other day, the ATC judge also initiated proceedings to declare dozens of PTI leaders and workers, including five former federal ministers, as POs in two separate cases of attacking Jinnah House and torching police vehicles in the cantonment area near Rahat Bakery Chowk.

The former federal ministers include Hammad Azhar, Farrukh Habib, Murad Saeed, Azam Khan Swati and Ali Amin Gandapur.

REMAND: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday denied Gulberg police further physical remand of former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and fashion designer Khadija Shah in Askari Tower attack case.

The police produced both suspects before the court on expiry of their previous remand.

The investigating officer asked the court to extend physical remand of the suspects as the investigation was still under way.

However, Judge Abher Gul Khan turned down the request and sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand till Sept 28.

Separately, the judge extended physical remand of eight suspects for five days in Askari Tower attack case.

The judge directed Gulberg police to produce the suspects again on Sept 19.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023