RAWALPINDI: Following Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protest throughout the country, a case regarding the murder of seven of its activists was registered with Sadiqabad police on Thursday night.

The TLP activists were killed during a crackdown on the participants of Faizabad sit-in on Nov 25, 2017.

However, no one was nominated in the FIR which was registered on the complaint of TLP activist Mohammad Hafeezullah Jan, a resident of People’s Colony Attock.

The complainant said in the FIR that thousands of religious activists, people from different sections of life and leaders were participating in the sit-in at Faizabad when heavy teargas shelling was started on the participants of sit-in at about 7am on Saturday.

He said heavy shelling and gunfire killed Hafiz Adeel, Mohammad Zohaib, Jehanzeb, Zahoor Nawaz, Hafiz Ashir, Irfan Mehmood and Sher Wali.

He said besides killing of people, the miscreants also damaged public and government property during the violence.

After registration of the murder case, the investigation was handed over to the homicide investigation unit (HIU) headed by SI Khalil Ahmed.

Traders of the area, who had suffered losses during the violence, had already registered seven separate cases against the participants of Faizabad sit-in.

Protesters released

Protesters picked up by the capital police during the protest by Tehreek-i- Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were released on Friday, sources told Dawn.

A senior police officer said the protesters were released after TLP called off the protest on Friday.

“There is no need to take legal action against them, as the protest has come to an end,” he added.

Besides, there is no need to register cases against them, he said.

Over a dozen protesters were taken into custody on Thursday from the capital, including Rawat and Sihala. They put up resistance when the police tried to disperse them.

They were detained in different police stations, including Margalla, the officer stated, adding that on Friday morning the police were asked by officials concerned to release them after taking undertaking from them.

As the police had not arrested them formally, they were not produced in courts.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2018