ATC sends CTD official on judicial remand

Case pertains to kidnapping, harassing and extorting citizens

KARACHI: A Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) rejected on Tuesday the pre-arrest bail plea of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) official Khalid Javed in a case pertaining to kidnapping, harassing and extorting citizens. ATC no. 20 was hearing the case at Central Jail Karachi.

Assistant prosecutor Iqbal Mayo informed the court that another accused in the case, police official Ashraf, has already been arrested.

He maintained that the accused, Ashraf and Khalid Javed, with their accomplices, had allegedly kidnapped Naveed Ansari from Orangi Town on September 27, 2019 and released him the next day with a demand of Rs300,000 as ransom.

Naveed’s wife had lodged a complaint against the accused for allegedly kidnapping him and demanding ransom. Meanwhile the police arrested Ashraf in exchange of Rs25,000 received from Naveed's wife. The arrested accused Ashraf indicated about his accomplices.

The court rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of CTD official Khalid Javed and handed him over to police for judicial remand.

Hate speech case

An ATC ordered the Investigation Officer (IO) to produce witnesses under any circumstances at the next hearing of a hate speech case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P’s) Organisational Restoration Committee head Farooq Sattar.

The court expressed its annoyance at the IO for not presenting the witnesses, ordering him to present witnesses at the next hearing under any circumstances. The court adjourned the hearing and set the next date for February 11. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2020.