PESHAWAR, Aug 13: A man arrested on charges of killing Aslam Farooqui, the provincial secretary-general of a banned organisation, was remanded in the custody of local police for three days by an anti-terrorism court here on Monday.

The accused, Shoaib Hussain, was reportedly caught red-handed by relatives of Mr Farooqui, a leader of the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), after he fired at him and was trying to escape from the crime scene in Mohallah Naqshbandi of the Kohati area.

The accused was produced before the anti-terrorism court in the judicial complex amid tight security. Dozens of policemen were deputed in and outside the complex.

Nobody was allowed to enter the premises when the accused was produced there. Police claimed that an accomplice of the accused, who was on a motorbike, had fled away.

The FIR of the case was registered at the Shah Qabool police station wherein the accused was charged under section 7 of the Anti terrorism Act and section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The investigation officer, Munir Khan, stated before the court that the accused was arrested on the spot. He stated that the police required his custody to interrogate him so the names of other people involved in the crime, if any, could be ascertained.

The court presided over by Mr Shahjee Rehman Khan asked the IO that despite the passage of 24 hours he had not prepared any further investigation documents except the FIR.

The court allowed the police three days of physical custody of the accused and directed that he be produced before the court on Thursday.