PHOTO: TWITTER
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate indicted on Friday #FixIt campaigner, Alamgir Khan, for planning to dump trash outside the Chief Minister's House.
South judicial magistrate Kaleemullah Kalwar summoned witnesses on April 8 to record testimonies against the anti-trash activist and his driver. Police had arrested Khan and his driver while attempting to dump trash outside the CM House on February 25, days after he had initiated a campaign to mark open sewers with CM Qaim Ali Shah's stencil portrait and a message reading 'Fix It'. Soon after, the #FixIt trend went viral on social media. The Civil Lines police had charged him under section 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Pakistan Penal Code, which calls for a maximum punishment of one month imprisonment or Rs500 fine.
As the investigation officer produced Khan and his driver before the court to seek their physical custody, the judicial magistrate ordered their release on bail subject to furnishing the fine. On Friday, the campaigner appeared before the court.
Kalwar indicted Alamgir and his driver, Saifullah, for causing wrongful restraint. However, both accused pleaded not guilty and decided to contest the charges.
Subsequently, the judge fixed the case for April 8 and issued notices to the prosecution witnesses to appear on the next date to record their testimonies against the accused. Speaking to the media outside the courtroom, Khan said attempts are being to silence him, but he would not succumb to such tactics. He vowed to continue raising his voice on the issue and demanded the authorities to discharge their duties and clean the city of trash.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2016.
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