QUETTA: An Anti-Ter­rorism Court on Tuesday granted custody of PTI supporter and fashion designer Khadija Shah to police for three days in a case relating to incitement to violence.

Quetta police had appr­e­hended her in Lahore and brought her to Baloch­is­­tan by road amid tight security.

The police sought a 14-day remand, alleging that Ms Shah was involved in inciting violence through WhatsApp and social media. The investigation officer emphasised the need for a forensic examination of the suspect’s mobile phone.

Ms Shah’s lawyer Iqbal Shah contested the 14-day remand request, asking why the mobile phone’s forensic examination had not been conducted over the past six months.

After hearing arguments from both sides, ATC judge Sadat Bazai rejected the police’s plea for the 14-day remand, and instead granted a three-day remand. The judge instructed the authorities to present Ms Shah before the court after the completion of the three-day remand period.

Earlier, Quetta police took Ms Shah into custody after an ATC in Lahore released her following the withdrawal of her detention order by the Punjab government. The Quetta police informed the Lahore ATC that Ms Shah was wanted for investigation in connection with violent attacks on May 9.

The Quetta ATC had previously issued arrest warrants for her in this regard.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2023