Fresh remand of PTI activists granted after new offences added to FIRs

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court granted fresh physical remand of jailed PTI leaders and activists to the police on Monday following the addition of new offences to FIRs regarding the May 9 riots and attack on the corps commander house.

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar allowed Shadman police three-day remand of PTI-Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid, former senior provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Senator Ijaz Chaudhry in a case of attacking and burning the police station.

The investigating officer sought fresh physical remand of the suspects for investigations in the case under new offences added to the FIR. Police produced the suspects before the court after bringing them from jail.

The judge also allowed Sarwar Road police fresh physical remand of 68 PTI leaders and activists for three days in the corps commander house attack case including former MNA Alia Hamza, fashion designer Khadija Shah, Sanam Javed, and Tayyaba Ambreen.

The lawyer of the women suspects opposed the remand saying they were already on judicial remand for the last three months and the police could investigate them in the jail. The deputy district prosecutor said custody of the suspects was essential for fresh investigations under new charges added to the FIR. The judge allowed the police request and granted three-day physical remand of the suspects.

However, the judge rejected a request of Gulberg police for fresh physical remand of former Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema and fashion designer Khadija Shah in the Askari Tower attack case. The police added new offences to all May 9 cases under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war or abetting in waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting) in the FIRs.

Other offences under sections 120, 120-A, 120B, 121-A, 505, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 107 of PPC had also been added to the cases, including the attacks on Askari Tower, Shadman police station, and torching of party offices of the PMLN in Model Town.