ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday granted a three-day physical remand to 19 accused belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who were arrested in connection with the party’s D-Chowk protest last month.
The ATC Judge, Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who presided over the hearing, denied a request from Prosecutor Raja Naveed for a 20-day physical remand for the accused, saying that a three-day physical remand would be enough.
The prosecutor informed the court that a case had been registered against the accused at the Secretariat Police Station, and investigations against them are yet to be completed.
He said that the accused had been remanded in custody for 11 days, during which several disclosures were made, adding raids were being carried out based on the revelations made by the accused in order to apprehend more suspects involved in the protest.
The prosecutor insisted for an extra 20-day remand for the accused nominated in the case, but the court approved a three-day physical remand.
Meanwhile, an ATC in Islamabad granted interim bail to PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat in three different cases registered against him in connection with party’s November 26 protest in capital.
The court approved the interim bail against surety bonds of Rs5,000 for each case that include inciting violence and terrorism under anti-terrorism laws, with the next hearing set for December 16.
At the onset of the hearing, Marwat expressed disappointment over what he called a “judicial bias.”
He said that Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, an ATC judge in Islamabad, had refused to hear his case due to his remarks against him in National Assembly.
“Judge Hasnat declined to hear my case due to my remarks against him on the floor of National Assembly. What can we do when there is already a fractured justice system in the country,” he added.
The court, while granting him bail, cautioned Marwat against making statements that might be perceived as attempts to influence the judiciary.
The case was adjourned until December 16.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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