In the dock: Anti-terror court frees 13 PAT activists

12 others sent on judicial remand.

LAHORE:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday freed 13 Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers, including women, and sent 12 others on judicial remand. The activists had been taken into custody when they were protesting against the Model Town incident.

On Wednesday, Shahdara police presented 13 people, while Shahdara Town police brought 12 men and women before the ATC judge.

Counsel for the accused told the court that police had implicated “innocent men and women” in a false terrorism case. They said the people were only protesting against the Model Town incident, when police fired shots and teargas shells at them. They were later taken into custody.

The court removed the names of 13 of the accused from the FIR. The court also sent the rest of the 12 on judicial remand and directed police to get them examined by doctors.

The Faisal Town, Shahdara and Shahdara Town police had earlier registered cases against hundreds of men and women on charges of pelting police with stones, setting fire to public property, interfering with government affairs, killing people and terrorism.

On Wednesday, Shahdara and Shahdara Town police presented the people in their custody in court. The Faisal Town police did not.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Faisal Town police Investigation Officer Ejaz Rasheed said they could not produce the accused because the court timing had ended. The suspects would be produced before the court on Thursday (today), the investigation officer said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2014.