RAWALPINDI: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), probing cases related to the May 9 violence, is close to finishing the challans since police investigation into the majority of the cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act has been completed.

A senior police official said majority of the challans had been submitted to courts while the police were near finishing the remaining challans. All the IOs with case files appeared before the JIT and submitted their reports.

The police JIT headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Faisal Saleem on Friday called a meeting of the investigating officers probing into 11 cases registered with the Rawalpindi district police under Anti-Terrorism Act, Official Secret Act, abetting violence other several sections of the law against hundreds of people, majority of them PTI workers and leaders.

The cases were registered with the R.A Bazaar police for attacking the army headquarters, New Town police for storming Hamza Camp, Civil Lines police for attacking the army museum, Cantt police for attacking AWT Plaza, Taxila police, Sadiqbad, Morgah police for attacking joint pickets, City police for attacking Metro Bus Station Liaquat Bagh, Waris Khan police for attacking metro bus Committee Chowk, Wah Saddar and Taxila police.

The SP, who has been leading the police investigation into the cases related to the May 9 violence and is currently posted as SP Investigation Jhelum, has called the meeting of the IOs along with case records. He expressed concern over non-submission of challans of a large number of cases registered under the ATA.

The District and Sessions Judge, Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) # 1, Rawalpindi, had earlier directed the Regional Police Officer and sought attention of the City Police Officer Rawalpindi and DPOs of Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Murree regarding non-submission of challans of the cases registered under the terrorism act.

The ATC had stated that a large number of reports under section 173 CrPC had not been submitted to the court despite the fact that considerable time had elapsed. The police are supposed to submit complete or incomplete reports to the court within 33 days, the ATC said.

The RPO was directed by the ATC to ensure the submission of a complete list of pending challans as per pro forma within one week so that speedy trial as per spirit of ATA 1997 could be commenced.

The ATC judge warned that any default on part of the police in non-submission of the report shall be deemed to be willful disobedience rendering it to be punishment under contempt of court.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2024