ATC orders police to bring witnesses in Pakistan Quarters rioting case

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An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday ordered the police to bring their witnesses against former Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar and around a dozen others in a case pertaining to inciting public to rioting and attacking state authorities during an eviction operation at Pakistan Quarters.Dr Sattar and 13 members of the Pakistan Quarters Residents Committee were indicted in July by the ATC-9 after they denied the charges levelled against them by the police. The suspects have been charged with leading a mob against the state authorities which had gone to Pakistan Quarters to get them vacated on the Supreme Court orders in October 2018.Police said around 400 people including women and children gathered on the streets to stop the authorities. They attacked the police, hurled abuses, pelted them with stones and injured some of them, the police maintained, adding that because of this, the police had to resort to baton charge, tear gas and water cannon against the protestors. The case was registered under the sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 283, 337-A (i), 353, 427 and 504 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with the Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Soldier Bazaar police station.The hearing was scheduled to hear witnesses against the accused, however, none of the witnesses appeared. Expressing its displeasure at the absence of the witnesses, the court directed the investigation officer of the case to ensure their presence in the courtroom on the next hearing on October 19.The accused, who all are on bail, appeared before the court. Dr Sattar’s counsel argued that the prosecution was prolonging the case because it had no evidence to prove the charges on his client. He said Sattar was framed in this politically motivated case and had incited none.Anti-state activitiesThe ATC-12 ordered the police to start proceedings against 33 Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activists to declare them proclaimed offenders in a case pertaining to anti-state activities.Three PTM activists, Ikramullah, Ahsanullah and Akhtar, are in custody while over 300, including the 33 against whom the police have been directed to proceed, are absconding. They are alleged of rioting, obstructing public servants from discharge of their duties and inciting people against the state and terrorism. According to the prosecution, the suspects in connivance with their absconding accomplices organised a gathering in Karachi in January in which speeches were made against the state and its security agencies.The prosecution has maintained that the speakers in the gathering incited people against the country and provoked them to chant slogans against it. Later, they besieged a police check-post and repeated the anti-state slogans. The court sought a compliance report on October 26.

from The News International - Karachi https://ift.tt/32wLvJj
The News International - Karachi