LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to three suspects allegedly involved in harassment of a woman in Ichhra bazaar for wearing a shirt with Arabic script print.

The police arrested the suspects, Muhammad Nadeem, Adil Sarwar and Altimash Saqlain.

Last week, the court sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand after denying their further custody to the police.

The lawyers for the suspects argued that the police arrested their clients without any evidence, and only to show performance to the government, seeking their release on bail.

Judge Arshad Javed allowed the bail petitions of the suspects subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.

The judge also disposed of the pre-arrest bail petitions of two other suspects — Maulana Aleemuddin Shakir and Khalid Shehansha — as withdrawn in the light of a discharge report submitted by the police.

According to the FIR, lodged a week after the incident, dozens of religiously charged people accused a woman of blasphemy in Inchhra bazaar as they confused the Arabic text printed on her shirt with Quranic verses. The mob also threatened to kill the woman.

However, a police team led by ASP Sheharbano Naqvi rescued the woman and shifted her to a police station.

JINNAH HOUSE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday allowed Sarwar Road police a five-day physical remand of a recently arrested suspect, who was absconder in the Jinnah House attack case.

The police presented the suspect, Tayyab Gulzar, before the court and sought his remand for 14 days.

The investigating officer said the suspect went into hiding and had been declared a proclaimed offender by the court. He said the police recently arrested the suspect.

Duty Judge Arshad Javed granted five-day physical remand of the suspect and directed the police to present him again on March 30.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024