Behind bars: LHC dismisses bail requests of 10 PAT activists

The prosecutor argued that PAT workers had taken the law into their hands, opened fire at policemen and beaten them.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail applications of 10 activists of Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) who are accused of killing a policeman.

Counsel for the accused submitted that the government had registered an FIR against the activists to victimise them for holding a peaceful protest.

“On behest of the government, police registered an FIR against peaceful protesters on terrorism charges,” he said.

The prosecutor stated that the men were involved in the murder of a policeman. “They also damaged public property and burnt police vehicles.

By doing this, they caused terror in the area. All the sections in the FIR against them are justified,” he said.

He argued that PAT workers had taken the law into their hands, opened fire at policemen and beaten them. He said that
they had also snatched weapons from some policemen.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2014.