ATC drops terrorism charges against Saeed Ghani's brother

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday dropped terrorism charges against Chanesar Town Chairman Farhan Ghani and others, approving the transfer of the case to a regular trial court.

The case, pertaining to the alleged assault on government employees, was heard at the administrative court inside the Anti-Terrorism Complex at Karachi Central Jail. Ghani and the other accused appeared before the court.

In a written order issued on the investigating officer's (IO) application, the court observed that the matter did not fall within the ambit of anti-terrorism laws. The order noted that the IO had filed an application under Section 497-B (ii) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows for bail in non-bailable offences under certain conditions.

The IO told the court that witness statements recorded during the investigation contradicted the complainant's account. He added that the witnesses summoned at the previous hearing were either unavailable or could not be traced. The complainant's counsel was also absent.

The written order stated that both parties agreed that the case lacked elements of terrorism. It further said that if any cognizable offence was established, a report would be submitted before the relevant magistrate.

According to the case record, the complainant's statement was recorded under Section 162 on August 29, while the statements of two witnesses, Nawaz and Mursaleen, were also documented. Neither named the accused in their testimonies.

The court observed that the witnesses' statements did not meet the "fundamental components" of anti-terrorism law. Eyewitnesses confirmed that around 25 people in two to three vehicles had obstructed official work at the site but did not support the complainant's allegation regarding the use of weapons. No evidence of firing at the scene was established.

The order concluded that the allegations did not create "a sense of insecurity or terror" among the public, a key requirement for invoking terrorism charges. The case will now proceed before a regular trial court under the applicable provisions of law.