May 9 violence: ATC sends PTI activists on six-day judicial remand

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday sent social media activists, including Sanam Javed and Shah Bano, of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and six others to jail on a 6-day judicial remand for an identification parade in connection with a May-9 violence case.

Earlier, the police produced Sanam Javed, Afshan Tariq, Shah Bano, Ashima Shuja, Mubeen Qadri, Syed Faisal Akhtar, Ali Hassan and Mohammad Qasim before ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan with covered faces. The investigation officer pleaded with the court to send the accused to jail for an identification parade in a case related to May vandalism. He submitted that after attacking Jinnah House, the accused torched police vehicles at Rahat Bakery Chowk in the Cantt area on May 9.

However, the defence counsel questioned the re-arrest of the accused and opposed the plea for sending them to jail for an identification parade. The court, after hearing arguments of the parties, sent the accused to jail on judicial remand for an identification parade. The Sarwar Road police had registered a case against PTI leaders and workers over torching police vehicles at Rahat Bakery Chowk. It is pertinent to mention here that the police had re-arrested the accused, a day earlier, after their release from jail on bail in the Jinnah House attack case. In his reaction, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesman decried the ‘re-arrest of the party’s activists and workers incarcerated in various fabricated, frivolous and fake cases’, urging Chief Justice of Pakistan to take cognizance of the ‘rising fascism in the country’. He also appealed to the chief justice to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the officials involved in making a mockery of the law of the land.The PTI spokesman termed the practice of repeated re-arrests of the party’s workers and leaders despite the clear courts’ orders as a slap in the face of the justice system. He said that the arrests of male and female activists after being released on bail were sheer fascism and oppression, adding that all limits of cruelties and barbarities were crossed to subject PTI’s affiliated male and female citizens to vindictive political retribution.

He claimed that the innocent mothers, sisters, and daughters were being especially subjected to oppression and fascism in total disregard for Islamic values and the law of the land. He underlined that contempt of court action should be taken against police and other officials involved in the misuse of the law.

Meanwhile, PTI has nominated the spokespersons who will give the party version on legal and political issues relating to PTI and former prime minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan. PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan notified PTI senior leaders including Farrukh Habib, Shoaib Shaheen, Raoof Hasan, Ali Muhammad Khan and Barrister Gohar Khan as the party’s official spokespersons.