ISLAMABAD: The capital police, on Saturday, re-arrested some workers out of 81 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers after they were discharged by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) from different cases who were arrested in connection with PTI’s November 26 protest.
The ATC judge, Abual Muhammad Hasnat Zulqarnain, discharged 81 PTI workers from different cases after they were produced by the police following the identification parade. The court also ordered police to release all workers who were discharged by the court.
Following the court’s decision, the city police deployed a heavy contingent outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC). As soon as all these workers came out of FJC, the police re-arrested these workers again in front of their near and dear ones who were waiting to receive them.
The ATC discharged these accused after their identification parade was completed.
Police from the Banigala, Shahzad Town, Tarnol and Industrial Area police stations appeared in court and requested the court to grant them 20-day physical remand of the accused.
The defence counsel objected to prosecution’s request and told the court that the police had arrested the suspects from their homes ahead of the protest. “They don’t want to recover anything from the suspects. The police have only completed their numbers,” Kayani said.
The court rejected police’s request and discharged 81 from different cases and sent 48 workers on physical remand. The court also ordered police not to arrest people who have been discharged by it.
The court has discharged 54 accused who were nominated in a case registered at Khanna police station, 16 accused nominated in a case at Industrial Area police station and 11 suspects who were nominated in a case at Kohsar police station.
Following the reports that police have planned to re-arrest PTI workers, the defence counsel asked the discharged workers to remain at the FJC premises till the written orders of the court.
Defence counsel Ansar Kiyani informed the court that the PTI workers discharged by the court have taken refuge in the corridors of FJC due to fear of arrest.
Later, Kiyani said that he has informed the court about police attitude and now he is waiting for the written orders.
When some of the workers left the FJC, police arrested them. Due to fear of arrest, many PTI workers remained inside the FJC till the filing of this report.
Police deployed outside the FJC has also barred the media from coverage and threatened them of dire consequences. The defence counsel informed the court about the re-arrest of the people by the police.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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