Shuja Khanzada
Judicial remand of a suspect believed to be involved in the attack on Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada has been extended for another week after the police failed to produce the charge-sheet on Saturday.
Special Judicial Magistrate Shahid Hameed Chaudhry expressed annoyance at the police’s failure to produce the challan. He directed the investigation officer of the case to produce the challan at the next hearing, January 9.
Qasim Muawia, the suspect, was brought to the court while his face hidden.
Counter-terrorism department (CTD) of the Punjab Police had arrested Muawia and obtained his physical remand from the court on September 29.
Sources said ammunition, suicide vests and detonators were recovered from the suspect.
Khanzada and 16 others had been killed in a suicide blast on August 16, 2015, at his political office in Shadi Khan, near Attock.
Khanzada, 71, was holding a meeting with locals when a suicide bomber blew himself up. The home minister and several others were buried under the rubble after the blast brought down the roof of the house.
Lilla Interchange clashes
Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday issued arrest warrants for another three suspects of Lillah Interchange clashes between police and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers.
Police had arrested 110 PAT workers on charges of attacking and injuring police officials on June 23, 2014. The arrested suspects have not been indicted so far since police are yet to arrest three suspects named in the case.
ATC judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth has directed the police to arrest the remaining suspects and produce them before the court on January 4. The judge expressed annoyance at police failure to arrest the suspects and complete the investigation in the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2016.
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