Relief for PTI Workers: Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court Orders Immediate Discharge of All Accused in Long March Cases; Cites Prolonged Unfounded Detentions
ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad has issued an unprecedented general discharge for the entire organization of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that had been arrested on the day of the long march.
The hearing was presided by ATC Judge Abualhasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain who sought an adjournment to hold an identification parade.
The highlights of the ATC Court Proceedings and Ruling are as follows:
Defence Counsel Sardar Masroof, Murtaza Turi and Zahid Bashir Dar strongly objected in the court that the workers had been arrested over forty days ago but police had been repeatedly asking adjournments without being able to show the detainees or provide any valid evidence. The counsels argued that all the arrested workers were completely innocent of any wrongdoing, and that they were purposely scapegoated.
Under the court order, all workers nominated by the defence had to be released from the case being pending before the Shalimar and Secretariat police stations where they were released on judicial remand for identification parade.
Legal Relief: The decision is good news for the workers and their family members, who have been held for weeks in judicial tribunals here in the capital.