anti-riot police officers walk to supporters of executed Islamist Mumtaz Qadri during an anti-government protest in Islamabad on March 27, 2016. PHOTO: AFP
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday discharged 189 supporters of Mumtaz Qadri from jail.
They were arrested on March 23 when religious parties observed chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri, who was executed on February 29 for killing former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.
Special Judge ATC-I Rai Muhmmad Ayub Khan Marth, acceding to the police report, directed Adiala jail authorities to release the 189 suspects.
Operation to disperse D-Chowk protesters will be initiated tomorrow: Nisar
In first case, Waris Khan police submitted a report with the court saying that they had found no evidence against 93 men arrested on March 27. The police said that the men were arrested after activists of different religious parties started marching towards Islamabad after marking Mumtaz Qadri’s chehlum at Liaqat Bagh.
In another case, City police told the ATC that the investigators had found no evidence against 96 men arrested on March 27.
The activists of religious parties clashed with Rawalpindi police on Murree Road after the activists started marching towards Islamabad. The police arrested as many as 440 activists for clashing with the law enforcers.
Protest inside red zone turns into a sit-in
Two more FIRs were registered with police stations of Banni and Civil Lines.
The activists ended their sit-in at D-Chowk after the federal government negotiated with them. One of their demands to the government was to release all of their arrested activists.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2016.
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