LAHORE: After an anti-terrorism court in Lahore handed fashion designer Khadija Shah to the Quetta police on Monday, the Quetta police will produce her in a court in Quetta in connection with a case registered against her in the wake of May 9 violence.

The Balochistan police team had filed an application before the Lahore court, saying she was required in a criminal case registered at the Bijli Road police station in the provincial capital.

The application said the Punjab home department had already approved the shifting of the suspect to Balochistan for investigation and sought a three-day remand. Judge Abher Gul Khan allowed the application and granted a two-day transit remand of Ms Shah to Balochistan police.

The judge directed the police to present the suspect before the court concerned within two days. Officials said the police team, after getting her transit remand, left for Quetta on Monday evening.

Separately, the Lahore High Court summoned a report from the Punjab IGP on handing over Khadija Shah to Balochistan police. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi was hearing a petition challenging the 30-day preventive detention of the fashion designer.

The judge ordered the IGP to produce Ms Shah by 2:30pm and appear himself in case of failure. IGP Anwar appeared when the court resumed its hearing. He told the court that the government withdrew the detention order of Ms Shah. However, the Quetta police obtained her transit remand from the trial court, he added.

The judge directed the IGP to submit a reply about the handing over of Ms Shah to Quetta police.

Jahanzeb Amin, the husband of Ms Shah, filed the petition challenging the detention of his wife under Section 3 of MPO.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2023