Islamabad police re-arrested 29 PTI workers acquitted in November 26 protest case

Islamabad police have re-arrested 29 PTI workers outside the court premises, after they were acquitted in connection with the November 26th protest case, Express News reported.

The arrested PTI workers had been presented in court following an identification parade, where Judge Abulhasnat Zulqarnain cleared them of charges in various cases but despite their discharge, police apprehended several of them outside the Judicial Complex.

Protests erupted when the re-arrests occurred. Lawyers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intervened and detained other discharged workers inside the Judicial Complex to prevent further arrests.

"We are strategising to protect the PTI workers and lawyers from the police," said Advocate Ansar Kiyani. "The workers are currently inside the Judicial Complex, and we have raised the matter of re-arrest with the court."

At present, approximately 100 discharged protesters remain in the corridor of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) inside the Judicial Complex where lawyers have informed the court of the police's conduct, and are awaiting a formal order in the matter.

The discharged protesters had been implicated in cases registered at various police stations, including Kahana, Kohsar, and I-9.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court rejected the police's request for physical remand of eight accused individuals, instead sending them on judicial remand to jail.