Assault case: Junaid Jamshed’s alleged attacker sent on transit remand

In a viral video on social media, the singer-turned-preacher was seen being beaten up

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate sent on Thursday a man allegedly involved in attacking singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed at Islamabad Airport to police custody on a three-day transit remand.

The suspect, identified as Zainul Abidin, is said to be one of the attackers who beat up, manhandled and abused the former pop sensation, levelling stark allegations of blasphemy against him.

In a video that went viral on social media, a group of young men is seen publicly accusing Jamshed to be a 'blasphemer', attacking him and instigating others to do the same.

Abidin was presented before district East magistrate Kaniz Fatima for seeking of transit remand, which is required as per law when the suspect cannot be produced before the trial court within the stipulated time of 24 hours after arrest.

The police told the court that the suspect was arrested after examination of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and mobile-made videos of the incident.

The magistrate, after accepting the report, allowed the police to keep the custody of the suspect for three days and present him before the trial court in Rawalpindi on the expiry of the remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th,  2016.