A Pakistan anti-terrorism court ordered the release of 38 people arrested in connection with last month’s protest led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.
Police had arrested hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters who participated in the protest on November 26, which included a march to the capital, Islamabad, and a planned sit-in demonstration.
PTI founder Khan on November 13 had issued a “final call” for nationwide protests, demanding the restoration of the PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th Amendment which he said had strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
PTI supporters reached the capital on Nov 27 after removing road hurdles but police launched an operation during the night and forced them to flee while more than 1,400 were arrested in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi.
According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, Judge Abul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain presided over the hearing on Saturday for 56 suspects who were presented in court after their identification parade was completed.
Police requested a 20-day physical remand for the suspects which was opposed by defence lawyer counsel Ansar Kayani, arguing that the police had arrested the suspects from their homes prior to the protest.
“They don’t want to recover anything from the suspects. The police have only completed their numbers,” Kayani said.
Rejecting the police request, the judge sent 50 individuals on judicial remand and discharged six others after getting their handcuffs taken off, ordering the police to not rearrest them.
Separately, Geo News reported that Judge Zulqernain late at night presided over a hearing for 32 individuals arrested during the PTI protest and presented for identification before the court.
The investigating officer requested a 30-day remand for the suspects, while defence lawyer Kiyani argued that police had arrested innocent workers from their homes to meet quotas.
Judge Zulqarnain ordered the suspects’ handcuffs to be removed in court and discharged them from the cases. He sternly warned the police against re-arresting them, saying: “If police do this again, I will have them handcuffed.”
PTI’s much-hyped protest, aimed at securing Khan’s release, had culminated in the party’s hasty retreat after the government’s midnight crackdown on the protesters.
