LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Mo­­nday denied police request for physical remand of former governor Omar Sarfraz Che­ema and PTI’s Punjab president Dr Yas­m­­in Rashid in a case of at­­tacking and torching PML-N offices in Model Town during May 9 riots.

As both PTI leaders have already been in jail on judicial remand in several cases related to the May 9 violence, including attacks on corps commander residence and Askari Tower, the Model Town police brought them from jail and produced them before ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan.

An investigating officer asked the court to allow physical remand of the suspects to complete inv­es­tigation into the attacks on the PML-N offices.

Opposing the police request for remand, the counsel for the PTI leaders questioned their arrest in yet another case while they had been behind bars.

Judge Khan turned down the request for physical rem­and and sent the PTI leaders on judicial remand.

Separately, the ATC granted bail to 44 accused, but postponed the hearing of bail plea of Yasmin Rashid in the Askari Tower attack case.

Judge Khan granted bail to the 44 accused, including Zareen Raza, Faizan Hassan, Muhammad Ahmed Ali Gondal, Sadaqat Hussain, Altaf Hussain, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Jalal Zeb Khan, Ghulam Qasim, Rafiq Khan and Izzat Rafi, on surety bonds worth Rs100,000 each.

The ATC, however, adjourned proceedings on Dr Rashid’s plea till Nov 29.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023