ATC frees 68 arrested over arson, police attacks in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Special Anti-Terrorism Court Rawalpindi on Thursday freed 68 suspects arrested by the Waris Khan Police over the alleged involvement in September 28 violent protests, arson and attacks on police, aerial firing, which left several police personnel, including SP Rawal injured.

Judge Amjad Ali Shah of Special Anti-Terrorism Court No. 1, Rawalpindi, heard the case. A total of 68 suspects arrested by the Waris Khan Police on the charge of vandalising police vehicles including the official vehicle used by the police were discharged from the case.

The court also sent 30 accused to the custody of the police on five-day physical remand, while three accused were ordered to be sent to jail on judicial remand.

Presenting the list in the court, police took the position that the above-mentioned accused were detained under section 54 of the Criminal Code on suspicion and during the identification parade in Attock jail, these accused were not found involved, so they should be discharged from the case. But the court discharged 61 accused from the case on the basis of the written report of the identification parade and ordered to discharge seven more accused. In addition, three accused were ordered to be sent to jail on judicial remand.

It should be remembered that the SHO of Waris Khan police station, Syed Tehbihul Hasan Shah, has been charged with violating the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 7 ATA and 21/1 ATA.

In addition, in the case number 1,356 registered under the provisions of Pakistan Penal Code 324, 382, 427, 109, 341, 147, 149, 186, 188 and 34, members of the provincial assembly Asad Abbas and Tanveer Aslam, in addition to Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Seembia Tahir, Shehryar, including Riaz, Ejaz Khan alias Jazi Khan, Raja Rashid Hafeez, Colonel (retd) Ajmal Saber, Alia Hamza, Chaudhry Ameer Afzal, and Umar Tanveer Butt, were nominated. According to the text of the case, people armed with firearms, sticks, and slingshots came to Murree Road and blocked the road. The police officers and personnel were attacked due to which others including dolphin personnel were injured, while the angry crowd broke the windows of the official vehicle used by SP Rawal Division and other police vehicles. Separate cases were registered under the charges of spreading fear and panic among the people by attacking people through aerial firing, arson, and damage to property.