Nawaz: Bails dismissed of shoe-throwing suspects

Magisterial court told case should be moved to ATC after inclusion of 7 ATA

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Saturday dismissed bail petitions of three accused allegedly involved in hurling a shoe at former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a ceremony held at the Jamia Naeemia in the Garhi Shahu police precincts.

As the magistrate took up the petitions, an investigating officer (IO) of the police presented a record of the case and contended that section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 had also been added in the FIR during the course of investigation.

The IO further stated after the addition of the ATA, the magisterial court has no jurisdiction to hear the bail petitions.

Counsel of the petitioners also stated that after the addition of the provision, the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to further hear the matter. He asked the court to dispose of the petitions.



Magistrate Talat Mahmood then dismissed the bail petitions owing to the lack of jurisdiction and directed the counsel to approach the anti-terrorism court.

It is pertinent to mention that Qila Gujjar Singh police had previously registered a case against Munawar Hussain and his two associates Abdul Ghafoor and Muhammad Sajid, under section 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person), section 504 (criminal intimidation) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 16 of Maintenance of Public Order.

All the three suspects were former students of the Jamia Naeemia, a religious seminary.

The police investigation revealed that the suspects were religiously motivated and tried to create hatred against Nawaz Sharif. Munawar Hussain hurled his shoe on the ousted premier when he came to the rostrum to address the gathering. The co-suspects also tried to throw shoes but security personnel overpowered them.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2018.