KARCAHI, June 18: Justice Qaisar Iqbal of the Sindh High Court, who is also the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Karachi, remanded on Monday two alleged activists of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in police custody till June 23 for their involvement in the Nishtar Park blast of April 11, 2006 in which 54 people, including top Sunni Tehrik leaders and eminent scholars, were killed and many others wounded.

Police produced accused Mufti Zakir Hussain, son of Saddiq-ur-Rehman, and Rehmatullah alias Rehmat, son of Sayaam, in the ATC, and also in the court of judicial magistrate for East Allah Bachayo the same day as they are facing cases of murder, attempt to murder, etc in two different police stations. They were brought to the courts with their faces covered and amid tight security.

Jamshed Quarters police had asked for the custody of the accused till June 30 while Soldier Bazaar police sought the custody till June 29, but the courts remanded them till June 23.

It was stated that they were wanted to the Jamshed Quarters police in cases for keeping illegal weapons while the cases registered in the Soldier Bazaar police stations are under Sections 302, 324, 4/5, ¾ of the PPC.

Police said the suspects were arrested on June 15 and an unlicensed pistol and bullets were seized from them. It was reported that they had helped their associate Mohammad Siddique, son of Mohammad Israel, hailing from Seri-Karnashi village in Mansehra district of the NWFP, who allegedly blew himself up on the 12th of Rab-ul-Awal in 2006.

Police said they were members of an organised gang based in Darra Adamkhel.