An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday sentenced 20 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to six months in jail and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each after they confessed to their involvement in the May 9 violence.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah announced the verdict in a case related to vandalism and the attack on a railway station during nationwide protests that broke out following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
The case had been registered by the Railway Police Station. The court also issued arrest warrants for absconding accused who failed to appear during the hearing.
Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate on Monday turned down police's request to remand PTI leader Sanam Javed in their custody for further investigation but also did not accept Sanam's request to discharge her of the charges of rioting
Police on April 28 arrested Sanam Javed and her husband, Professor Atiq, near Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Islampura police had registered a case against her and others for allegedly chanting anti-state slogans, taking out a rally and blocking roads on February 8 in Lahore.
On Monday, the police presented Sanam in the court at the end of her six-day remand period.
The Investigation Officer (IO) in the case requested the court to extend the remand period for further investigation. The accused's counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, requested the court to discharge her from "the politically motivated case", which, he said, had been registered merely to humiliate and embarrass her.
He argued that Sanam Javed is being victimized. He argued that the FIR was registered on February 8 while the sections relating to Anti-Terrorism Act were inserted 80 days later. The magistrate, however, sent the accused to jail on 14-days judicial remand.
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