ATC sends lawyers on judicial remand in PIC rampage case

LAHORE, Dec 12 (APP): An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday sent lawyers, involved in two cases registered in connection with the Punjab Institute of cardiology (PIC) rampage, to jail on Judicial remand.

Shadman police produced 32 lawyers, including Adnan Bhatti, Basharat Abbas and Sajjad Rasheed before ATC Judge Abdul Qayyum Khan at the outset of the proceedings.

The investigation officer stated that the accused had been arrested in connection with FIR 671/2019 registered under 436, 353, 324, 148, 290, 291 of the PPC and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.

He pleaded with the court for 14-day judicial remand of the accused for identification parade.

However, the defence counsel argued that photographs of all the accused had been taken at the time of occurrence and their custody.

He also requested medical examination of the accused while claiming that they had been tortured.

Subsequently, the court accepted the investigation officer’s request and granted six-day judicial remand for identification parade and directed to get hold of the identification period within the period.

The court directed for producing the accused on December 18 while directing for their medical examination.

Meanwhile, the court turned down request for physical remand of four lawyers involved in the same case and sent them to jail on 14-day judicial remand.

The investigation officer submitted that the accused-Tayyab Rasool, Rana Muhammad Aslam, Asad Salman and Ali Raza- were also arrested in the case and requested for 14-day physical remand of the accused for investigations.

However, the court turned down request for physical remand.

There is no justification for physical remand as no specific role has been assigned to the accused neither it was mentioned that the accused have any weapon of offence, it observed.

The court sent the accused to jail on judicial remand for 14 days and directed for producing them on December 26.

The court also directed the investigation officer for filing the challan within the said period, besides medical examination of all accused.

Moreover, the court also turned down request for physical remand of seven lawyers, involved in other case registered in connection with the PIC rampage, and sent them to jail on judicial remand till Dec 26.

The investigation officer stated that the accused-Umar Ghaffar, Waqas Ali, Fahad Sultan and others- had been arrested in connection with FIR 670/2019 registered under 322, 440, 452, 353, 395, 186, 354, 148, 149, 337-H2 of the PPC and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.

He requested for 14-day physical remand of the accused for investigations.

However, the court turned down request for physical remand as there was no justification for physical remand.

The court sent the accused to jail on judicial remand for 14 days and directed for producing them on December 26.

The court also directed the investigation officer for filing the challan within the said period, besides medical examination of all accused.

It is pertinent to mention here that Shadman police had registered two FIRs against more than 250 lawyers for rampaging the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), beating up medics, nurses and damaging equipments at the facility on Wednesday.