Aftermath of arrest: Seven alleged arsonists sent on remand by ATC

Suspects caught torching vehicles after arrest of MQM chief in London.

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) awarded on Thursday the physical custody remand of seven suspects to the police in a case pertaining to rioting, attempted murder and causing damage to public and private property during the unrest that followed the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain in London on June 3.

A link judge of the ATC sent the suspects on remand till June 12 after they were produced before the court over their alleged involvement in the acts of violence during protests. The suspects were booked for allegedly torching vehicles, rioting, attacking citizens and destroying public and private property during the protest near Singer Chowrangi in Korangi within the remits of the Awami Colony police stations on June 3.

Muhammad Kashif, Naeem Shahzad, Muhammad Sajid, Faisal Khan, Muhammad Arsalan, Ali Raza and Qamar were arrested on the spot by the law enforcers. The suspects along with 29 others have been booked for their alleged involvement in setting vehicles on fire and damaging public and private properties.

A case, No. 182/14, was registered against them under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage etc) 183, (resistance to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at Awami Colony police station.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2014.