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ATC grants physical remand of suspect in Wazirabad shooting case

Suspect Naveed was presented in court 14 days after he was taken into custody

By Ahmed Faraz
November 17, 2022
A police officer stands guard in front of container truck used by the former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan during his political rallies, hours after a gun attack in Wazirabad on November 3, 2022. — AFP
A police officer stands guard in front of container truck used by the former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan during his political rallies, hours after a gun attack in Wazirabad on November 3, 2022. — AFP

LAHORE: A 12-day physical remand of the prime suspect Naveed, who opened fire at PTI Chairman Imran Khan during his party's long march in Wazirabad on November 3, has been granted by an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala.

Imtiaz Ahmed, the investigation officer in the case, requested the court to grant a 30-day remand; however, the District and Sessions/ATC Judge Rana Zahid Iqbal Khan approved the suspect's 12-day physical remand.

The joint investigation team (JIT) — constituted to probe into the incident — presented Naveed in the anti-terrorism court 14 days after he was taken into custody while trying to flee from the site of the attack.

Following the remand granted by the anti-terrorism court, the suspect would be further investigated for the collection of scientific evidence.

“[Suspect Naveed] submitted that he is in police custody for more than 10 days but is produced today. This fact, if true, is serious in nature and entails legal action against the officers/officials/investigation agency with whom custody of the [suspect] remained for the previous 10 days,” the short order, a copy of which is available with The News.com, read.

The judge, therefore, directed convener and head of JIT to probe and fix responsibility against the delinquents under intimation to this court till the next date of hearing.

If failed to do, the "law shall take its own course", the court stated in its order.

Suspect Naveed, as per the court's order, has been nominated in the first information report (FIR) for sections 302 (punishment of qatl-i-amd), 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 (punishment for terrorist act) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The hearing was adjourned till November 29 during which the court directed authorities concerned to present the suspect.

On November 3, the PTI chief survived an attempted assassination attack on himself after Naveed shot him from the left side of the container amidst the long march with the intention of killing Khan and tried to escape.

However, he was later captured from the crime scene followed by registrations of FIR against him and was later in the custody of Lahore's Counter Terrorism Department.

The gun attack left Khan wounded with fragments of bullets injuring his lower limbs.