Court sends 28 accused of rioting on judicial remand

Directs accused, witnesses in hate speech case to ensure attendance at next hearing

KARACHI:

A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent 28 arrested workers of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to jail on a judicial remand on Saturday.

The arrested TLP workers were presented before the court on after the completion of their physical remand. The court sent all the TLP workers to jail till May 5 and ordered the investigation officer to present the case challan.

The TLP workers had been arrested by Kharadar Police on April 14 for their alleged involvement in rioting and vandalism.

Read: Protests erupt across Pakistan after TLP chief detained in Lahore

Provocative speech

Separately, an ATC directed the accused and witnesses in 27 provocative speech cases to ensure attendance at the next hearing.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders Farooq Sattar, Khwaja Izhar, Waseem Akhtar, Qamar Mansoor and other co-accused appeared in court. However, Amir Khan remained conspicuous in his absence.

Khan's counsel submitted a plea and sought an exemption from the court for his client. The ATC accepted the plea and recorded the statements of two witnesses. The defence lawyers completed the cross examination of the statements.

The court directed the accused and witnesses to appear on the next hearing and adjourned the hearing till May 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2021.