Jhelum incident: Suspects’ bail plea dismissed

RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday dismissed post arrest bail of 69 men arrested in connection with torching a factory owned by a businessman belonging to the Ahmedi community in Jhelum. Special Judge ATC-II Asif Majeed Awan dismissed the bail plea of Shamim Akhtar and 68 other men who were arrested for setting the chipboard factory on fire after unsubstantiated allegations of blasphemy were made. Jhelum police had registered a terrorism and attempted murder charge against the accused on November 21. According to available details, a mob set on fire the factory after claims were made that pages of the Quran had been desecrated on the factory premises. Lawyers representing to the accused said that they will go to the Lahore High Court, Rawalpidni bench for bail.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2015.