ISLAMABAD: A local court on Sunday approved a one-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur in a terrorism and sedition case, and directed police to present the accused in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday (today).

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police after taking custody of the PTI leader on Saturday presented him before a district and session court’s duty magistrate Naveed Khan. The duty magistrate after hearing both the prosecution and the PTI lawyers; approved a one-day physical remand with the directions that the accused be presented before the ATC today.

Gandapur was initially arrested by Dera Ismail Khan Police on Thursday after multiple cases were registered against him by the Islamabad and Punjab Police. He was then handed over to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police on Saturday in the case registered against him at the Golra Police Station.

During the course of hearing on Sunday, the prosecutor read out the FIR lodged against the PTI leader and stated that Gandapur mentioned the plan to attack Islamabad in the audio linked to the case. He said that the PTI leader threatened to gather weapons to fight against the police. “This was a part of the attack on the judicial complex,” the prosecutor said, adding that all the offences included in the FIR were of serious nature and were non-bailable. He argued that a suspect could be sent on remand for 90 days while 15-day duration is a minimum period in the case.

In his arguments, Gandapur’s lawyer Babar Awan stated that the date and time mentioned in the FIR were of immense importance, adding that it did not mention the police or the individual responsible. He said that the complaint had stated that he was sitting in his house when the audio of Ali Amin got aired.

Awan added that it was not the first time as various audios of Maryam Nawaz and former chief justice had also surfaced and asked as to whether any FIR was lodged against these previous audios leaks. He said that the police who felt threatened after Gandapur’s speech did not even file the case. He also stated that the Gandapur was not supposed to be presented in this court as it was a terror case.

Awan then requested the court to discharge Gandapur from the case. The PTI leader’s lawyer requested the court to send Gandapur on remand for 24 hours only so that he could be presented in an ATC, which the court approved accordingly.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023