KARACHI: A day after the expiry of his transit remand, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday remanded Chanesar Town chairman Farhan Ghani, younger brother of senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader and Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, in police custody in a terrorism and attempted murder case for allegedly assaulting a government employee overseeing laying of fibre optic network along Sharea Faisal.

The investigating officer (IO) of the case produced suspects Farhan Ghani, Qamar Ahmed and Shakeel Chandio before the administrative judge of the ATCs at the Judicial Complex inside the Central Prison Karachi.

The IO informed the court that the suspects had allegedly beaten the complainant, a government employee, who was overseeing the fibre optic network laying work being carried out on Sharea Faisal.

He added that after the registration of an FIR, the suspects had surrendered themselves to the police, after which they were formally arrested in the present case.

The IO sought their physical remand from Aug 25 to Sept 6 for interrogation and to apprehend their accomplices.

State Prosecutor Ali Raza Abbasi contended that since the work was being carried out to install a fibre optic cable in the national interest, the interruption caused by the suspects attracted Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

He argued that police remand was necessary to thoroughly investigate the acts allegedly committed by the suspects, while also undertaking before the court that if the suspects were found innocent, the appropriate provisions of law would be applied.

On the other hand, a large number of lawyers appeared before the court supporting Mr Ghani. However, none of them filed power of attorney on behalf of the suspects, the court noted in its order.

It added that upon inquiry, the suspects informed that they had not engaged any counsel. However, the suspects had denied the allegation against them.

After hearing both sides, the court remanded the suspects in police custody for four days and directed the IO to produce them at the next hearing along with a progress report.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025