PTI leaders, workers remanded

One of the accused is a former senator

LAHORE:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted a fresh physical remand for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and former PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry to police in cases related to the May 9th Riots on Wednesday.

The court allowed police three-day physical remand of the PTI leader in three cases, including torching a container at Kalma Chowk and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office in Model Town. ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan conducted the proceedings where police produced the accused after bringing him from jail.

Investigation officers requested the court to grant physical remand of the accused. They submitted that his custody was required for interrogation in connection with the new charges added to the cases. Rasheed was nominated along with other PTI leaders and workers in the cases registered by Naseerabad and Model Town police. New offences were added to all cases related to the May 9th Riots under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war or abetting in waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting).

Similarly, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted a fresh conditional remand of PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry after the addition of new charges in two cases. ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan allowed Naseerabad and Model Town police three-day physical remand of the ex-Senator for torching a container at Kalma Chowk and the PML-N office.

The court directed police to investigate the PTI leader in jail as he was not feeling well. The investigation officers of Naseerabad and Model Town Police Stations had requested the court to grant physical remand of the PTI leader for investigation after the addition of new charges in his cases.

Earlier, police produced the ex-Senator before the court after bringing him from jail.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2023.