KARACHI: A judicial magistrate sent 12 suspects to prison in a rioting case on Tuesday after a sessions court overturned his decision to extend their physical remand.

On Dec 8, a court had handed the 12 suspects over to police on a one-day physical remand after the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts (ATC) had removed the provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) invoked by the police in the FIR registered against them, as well as hundreds of participants of a Sindhi Culture Day rally that turned violent near the FTC flyover on Sharea Faisal on Dec 7.

The police had apprehended the 12 suspects for allegedly violating a ban imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

After the end of their first remand, IO Inspector Sajid produced the suspects before Judicial Magistrate (South) Zahid Ali on Tuesday and pleaded for an extension in their physical remand.

Various lawyers appeared on behalf of the suspects and submitted that it was a simple case of violation of Section 144 of the CrPC, for which a case can only be registered under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) with permission of the state/higher authorities.

The lawyers asked the magistrate to discharge the suspects under Section 63 (discharge of person apprehended) of the CrPC.

After hearing the parties concerned, the magistrate allowed the request of the IO for an extension in their custody, and again handed them over to the police on a three-day physical remand.

However, the defence lawyers challenged the order before Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) Irshad Hussain, who overturned the impugned order and remanded back the matter to the magistrate with directions to pass a fresh order in accordance with law after hearing both sides.

Therefore, the suspects were again produced before the magistrate, and their lawyers insisted on having them discharged, while the IO and prosecutor strongly opposed it and pleaded for their custody.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate sent the suspects to prison on judicial remand and directed the IO to complete the investigation and file a report.

The lawyers chanted slogans for not setting the suspects free as soon as the magistrate remanded them to prison. Subsequently, they have filed post-arrest bail applications before a sessions court.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025