Rawalpindi:
A special anti-terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday, convicted 82 accused, involved in riots under Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) protest in Islamabad on November 24 and 26, last year, but ordered their release by devoting their pre-violation period against their verdict.
Special ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah, the terror fight against the 82 criminal sentences fell after their confession of the crimes and discharged all the 24 cases registered against them. However, the Court issued arrest warrants for more than 1,000 accused who skipped the hearing.
The court had called a total of 1,609 charged in the 24 cases of rebellion, vandalism, arson, protest and road blocking in D-CHOWK in the federal capital on November 24 and 26, 2024 under the PTI Protest. Of these cases, 15 were registered in Attock District and nine in Rawalpindi district.
A total of 568 accused appeared in court. At the beginning of the hearing, the prosecution offered all the accused that they confessed to the crimes they would be released after their detention would be taken as their prison period.
At these 82 PTI employees, this offer accepted and confessed. The judge sentenced the men and ordered that the time spent in imprisonment by these workers would be considered the verdict. They were also acquitted of terrorism. Fines of RS2,000 each were imposed on those involved in injuring the police.
However, the workers who refused to confess were formally accused, and the court called the witnesses against them. To avoid the rush in the courtroom, the court set three days of consultation on 7, 8th and 9th of May. On every day, eight cases would be heard.
For the remaining more than 1,000 absent, the court canceled their guarantee and issued their arrest warrants. According to the law, their computerized national identity cards were blocked and their bank accounts had been frozen.
Sc Bail
The Supreme Court on Friday awarded bail before the occasion of PTI leader Hafiz Farhat Abbas and approved bail for the party’s senator Ejaz Chaudhry, in cases related to the violent protests on May 9, 2023.
A bench with three members led by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the cases. On the placement of ABBAS, the petitioner’s lawyer stated the court that the pre-filled bail for co-accused IMTIAZ Sheikh had also been approved by the Point Court.
The special prosecutor claimed to court that the Court of Justice had declared Abbas as refugees. However, Justice Afghan noted that the relevant court would investigate the case whether he was a refugee or not, adding that when the investigation was completed, what was the need to arrest the defendant.
On the petition from Senator Chaudhry, the court approved the bail and ordered the petitioner to submit bond of RS100,000 to the trial. The court was informed that Chaudhry had been arrested since May 11, 2023 on charges of encouraging people and hatching conspiracy.
