News Desk
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has discharged 78 more suspects who were arrested during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “do-or-die” protest at D-Chowk last month.
Officials of four police stations of the federal capital produced a total of 283 suspects before ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra on Monday, whereas, advocate Ansar Kiana represented detainees in the court.
After the completion of a two-day physical remand, Sihala police produced 31 suspected protesters and sought an extension. However, the ATC rejected the plea and sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand.
Aabpara police produced 94 suspects before the court and sought their physical remand. The ATC judge handed custody of the 90 accused to police on a two-day physical remand and discharged 4 others in the case.
Meanwhile, officials of Tarnol police station also produced 63 suspects of which the court approved two-day physical remand of six and discharged 57 others from the case.
Subsequently, 95 suspects were produced by Karachi Company police in two separate cases. The court discharged 9 suspects and approved a two-day physical remand of 3 accused in a case related to the PTI’s November 24 protest in Islamabad.
In the second case, the ATC discharged 8 suspects while 75 accused were handed over to the police on a three-day physical remand.
Sipra also sought details from the relevant police officials regarding underage children among the detainees.
At the outset of the hearing, the lawyer representing detainees apprised the ATC that some suspects had been discharged by the court two days ago but police rearrested them.
Judge Sipra directed the police to remove the handcuffs of the suspects and refrain from rearresting them. However, police did not release the accused despite the court orders which led their lawyer to return to the courtroom.
