Qadri chehlum: Another 32 protesters released by ATC

The police did not find any evidence against them

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court here on Saturday set free 32 more pro-Qadri protesters after the Rawalpindi police found no evidence against the arrested men.

Special Judge ATC-II, Asif Majeed Awan, accepted the findings of the police and ordered for release of 32 men. The police had already discharged 211 pro-Qadri protesters.

New Town police requested the court to discharge 12 protesters as the investigators found no evidence against them. In the second case, Banni police discharged 20 men.

Rawalpindi police arrested as many as 440 men and registered cases with four police stations under charges of terrorism, rioting, police encounter, and damaging public property. The men were arrested on March 27 when activists from a number of religious parties started marching towards Islamabad after they held a chelum for Mumtaz Hussain Qadri who was hanged on February 29 for killing former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

The protesters clashed with the Rawalpindi police on Murree Road as the police tried to stop the marchers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2016.