Wheels of justice: Court rejects bail of 53 PAT activists

Party workers accused of damaging public property, attacking policemen.

RAWALPINDI:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday dismissed bail applications of 53 workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) who were arrested on charges of attacking policemen on June 23.

ATC Judge Pervez Ismail Joya rejected the bail applications filed by the workers who were arrested by for creating a law and order situation outside the Benazir Bhutto International Airport where PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri was due to land. PAT activists have been charged with clashing with policemen and injuring around a dozen officials.

The workers had filed applications through their counsel requesting the court to grant them bail in the case. Tariq Butt, the counsel for the workers, maintained that police had registered cases against the party workers on mala fide intentions. Butt further maintained that police had registered fabricated cases against the workers and had not recovered any weapons from their possession.

The counsel claimed the workers had gathered outside the airport to welcome their party chief on June 23 but the police used teargas to disperse the peaceful crowd. The counsel requested the court to accept their bail applications and also acquit them.  On the other hand, police had claimed that the workers were arrested for damaging public property and cases were registered against them under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The prosecution had opposed their bail applications and requested the court not to grant them bail at this stage. Police will reportedly submit a charge sheet against the PAT activists next month.

After Friday’s hearing, the workers have decided to challenge the decision in Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench. Talking to The Express Tribune, PAT spokesperson Haider Alvi said it was unfair that innocent people were not granted bail despite police failure to produce any evidence of wrongdoing from the workers.

He said the decision will be challenged on Monday through a fresh petition in the high court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2014.