ISLAMABAD: Anti-Terrorism Special Court-1 Islamabad JudgeAbdul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain on Saturday rejected the police request for 10 days of physical custody of PTI’s leader and activists, arrested on Friday and sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The Kohsar police produced the accused in the court of Judge Abdul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain with request that they snatched anti-riot shield kit and tear gas gun, besides, their other colleagues and unidentified accomplices escaped. For the recovery of same and identification of their accomplices, 10 days of physical custody of the arrested accused was sought.

Earlier, the Kohsar police arrested Zia Ullah Khan, Raja Qasir Ghaffar, Tanveer Hussain, Malik Rafique, Umar Shahzad, Usman Khan, Afzal Khan Khattak, Azmat Ullah, Nazim Jabbar, and Amir Masood in connection with a case registered against them under section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act along with 395, 324, 148, 149, 188, 186, 341, 353 and 506 ii of Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the court order, an inspector present and through written application made a request for grant of 10-days physical custody and further stated that the accused have been arrested from the place of occurrence and their custody was required for the purpose of recovery and investigation.

The request for physical custody appears to be unjustified and law discourages unjustified custody of the accused.

In the circumstances, the request for 10 days physical custody stands rejected. Accused persons are hereby sent to judicial custody for 14 days and be again produced before the court on June 29, 2024.

Investigating officer is directed to submit challan within stipulated period.

According to the FIR, about 70 to 80 activists of PTI along with armed guards under the leadership of PTI’s office bearers Amir Masood Mughal, Shoaib Shaheen, Ali Bukhari reached street 38 of Sector F-6/1 on vehicles and motorcycles. The participants were insisting to move forward despite barriers were put in place on the road.

The police contingent deployed there, made an attempt to stop them. However, they hit the barriers with a car and also made an attempt to hit the police with the intention to kill them.

They also broke the police cordon by using force and physically confronted and misbehaved with the police. They also snatched a tear gas gun from Constable Jaffar Anjum, anti-riot shield and kit from Constable Sajjad Hashmi, besides, tore the uniform of SI Tanveer Ahmed.

The armed guards pointed weapons at the police, which spread fear and terror among the residents of adjacent areas. They moved forward by chanting slogans and blocked the National Press Club from both sides.

As a result, the smooth flow of traffic was affected and people faced difficulties. SHO and magistrate informed them that section 144 of CrPC had been imposed in the capital and there was a ban on all kinds of gatherings and their gathering is also illegal.

However, they did not stop and put up resistance against the police. The police overpowered 10 persons while the other escaped from the spot.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2024