KARACHI: The director of the defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and the former chief of the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) were released on Tuesday by Rangers as no proof was found about their involvement in alleged criminal activities ranging from land grabbing to financing of targeted killers during an initial investigation, it emerged on Tuesday.

Last week the Rangers had informed an antiterrorism court about the 90-day preventive detention of KDA director Najam-uz-Zaman and former Abad chief Babar Mirza Chughtai for questioning.

Read: Ex-Abad chief detained for 90 days, Rangers tell ATC

“Both have been released as no sufficient evidence emerged about their involvement in criminal activities during the preliminary investigation carried out by the paramilitary force,” a source in the Rangers told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

In 2013 an amendment was made in the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under which a sector commander of the paramilitary force has the discretionary powers to release any suspect against whom no tangible evidence has been found about his alleged involvement in criminal activities.

“It has been left to the discretion of the paramilitary force officer under the relevant laws to release the suspect on bond or without bond. Moreover, there was no need to inform the court concerned,” added the source.

However, the source said, both suspects had been put under Fourth Schedule of the ATA placing certain restrictions on their movements. In other words, they would be monitored by the law enforcers and be obliged to inform their police stations concerned about their activities and whereabouts, added the source.

The Rangers on April 16 had informed the ATC about the 90-day preventive detention of the chief of the KDA land department.

The paramilitary force along with their prosecutors had produced the KDA official in the chamber of the in-charge judge of ATC-II Anandram Sairani along with copies of detention orders and jail warrants. The paramilitary officials had contended that they had credible information about the involvement of the detainee in targeted killing, kidnapping and extortion punishable under the ATA.

Therefore, they said the suspect was placed under preventive detention for three months under Section 11 EEEE (1) of ATA and their production along with relevant documents was made in compliance with Section 11 EEEE (3) of ATA for the information and record of the court.

Ex-Abad chief

Three days prior to the detention of the KDA official, former chief of Abad Babar Mirza Chughtai, a businessmen and builder, was also held on charges of land grabbing and financing alleged targeted killers.

The paramilitary force had along with their counsel produced the ex-chairman of Abad along with a detention order and jail warrant in the chamber of the in-charge judge of ATC-II Anandram Sairani.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2015

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