Ashura violence: ATC indicts 95 suspects

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has indicted 95 suspects involved in sectarian violence that broke out on November 15, 2013, in Raja Bazaar. The court has asked Gunjmandi SHO to present witnesses at next hearing on February 24 after all the suspects pleaded not guilty. One of the suspects, Zahir Shah, has been declared proclaimed offender. Another suspect, Ali Asghar Shah, was excluded from the case because of his death. The violence in 2013 had claimed 11 lives. Another 20 people were injured in the clashes. Meanwhile, the ATC reserved its judgment in a weapons case against six suspects including Ikram Saeed. The suspects were arrested in Jand, Attock district. The verdict will be out on February 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2015.