Police say no evidence against arrested men

Police did not gather evidence against suspects who were held for firing near a Youm-e-Ali procession.

KARACHI: The investigation police in its report about the six suspects, who were held for firing near a Youm-e-Ali procession, say that they weren’t able to gather any evidence yet and therefore, the arrested men should be released for now.

The report was presented to the administrative judge of Karachi’s anti-terrorism courts, Maqbool Baqar, by the SP investigation on Wednesday. However, the judge adjourned proceedings till today (Thursday).

Six men - Naseeb Khan, Mohibullah, Barkat Khan, Mohammad Waseem, Ainul Ibad and Naseem Kakar - were rounded up after the firing incident near a Youm-e-Ali procession near Empress Market on September 1. Previously, the judge had observed that according to media reports, 20 people were arrested as suspects in the firing case and sought an explanation from the police about the other detained men. Special Prosecutor Arshad Iqbal told the court on behalf of the police that only six people were arrested and handed over to the investigation department.

The judge then ordered that a report be submitted in the court about the evidence that led to the arrest of the suspects. The court also directed that a representative of the private TV channel, which broke the news about the arrest of 20 people, appear before the court.

The TV channel’s representative appeared before the judge on Wednesday and produced the footage of arrests as well as their record in which SP Jamshed Town Amir Lodhi told the channel that 20 people have been arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2010.