Terror charges dropped in traders clash case

RAWALPINDI:

Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) has been removed from a high-profile case involving an armed clash and vandalism between two groups of traders in Murree at the beginning of this year.

Judge of the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court, Syed Amjad Shah, removed terrorism provisions from the case registered at Murree Police Station under terrorism and attempted murder charges and sent it to the court of Civil Judge Murree for trial.

The case was registered on the complaint of police regarding firing and a clash between two groups of the Murree Traders Association at Mall Road. Due to the ongoing dispute between the two groups, tensions remained high in Murree's central markets for several days.

Accused Tufail Akhlaq and Abdul Hameed Abbasi challenged the inclusion of terrorism provisions in the case. Supreme Court lawyer Asad Abbasi had filed a petition seeking removal of the charges, arguing that the case was of ordinary nature and terrorism provisions had been included by Murree police as an act of retaliation.

He argued that none of the legal requirements for applying terrorism charges were fulfilled and such provisions could not be imposed merely on police's request.

The court accepted the argument, removed the terrorism charges and transferred the case to the Civil Judge Murree for trial.