Terrorism charges dropped in Ichhra Bazaar case

ASP Shehrbano Naqvi intervened to rescue the woman from the mob.

Listen to article

The Anti-Terrorism Court Judge, Arshad Javed, has ordered the removal of terrorism charges from the  Ichhra Bazaar case, directing that it be transferred to the session court for trial.

The incident, which took place in February, involved a woman wearing a printed shirt with Arabic script and was confronted by a man in a bazaar, who demanded she change her shirt. When she refused, the situation escalated, attracting a hostile crowd driven by blasphemy accusations.

The woman sought refuge at a food outlet but faced threats, surrounded and assaulted by a mob due to her clothing.

The Arabic script on her dress, which read “Halwa,” led to accusations of blasphemy and provoked the crowd's ire.

Following the court’s recent ruling, police have found some suspects, including Atmash Saqlain, Nadeem, Muhammad Ali alias Chand Butt, Malik Khurram Shehzad, and Adil Sarwar, guilty of involvement in the attack.

Meanwhile, Khalid Mahmood Khalid, Aleemuddin, and Allama Saqib Ali have been declared innocent.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gulberg, Shehrbano Naqvi, who intervened during the attack, managed to rescue the woman from the enraged mob, risking her own safety.

The case, initially registered under anti-terrorism laws, has now been shifted to a session court for further proceedings, reflecting a significant shift in the legal approach to the incident.