ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has granted physical remand for 156 members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, who were detained during a protest, according to media reports.
The members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were taken into custody during the sit-in protest at D-Chowk on November 24, with cases filed against them at the Secretariat Police Station, as reported by The Express Tribune.
The party members breached barricades in an attempt to reach Islamabad, leading to a midnight operation that resulted in four fatalities and over 50 injuries.
The Anti-Terrorism Court sanctioned a four-day physical remand for 139 of the detained activists, in addition to an extra four-day remand for 17 others, according to the report.
During the session presided over by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, the investigating officer sought an extended remand for the suspects, claiming that anti-riot equipment and sticks were found in possession of the PTI workers.
Nonetheless, the court denied the request for the physical remand of two female detainees, ordering them to be placed on judicial remand instead. The arrested women, taken into custody on November 24, alleged that they had not received food or water, according to the report.
The late-night operation compelled Khan’s supporters to abandon D-Chowk and the nearby main business area of the capital, effectively concluding their protest. His party condemned the operation as a “massacre” under the “fascist military regime,” while police sources indicated that around 450 demonstrators were detained.
The PTI asserted that “hundreds” lost their lives in the violent confrontations with security forces. (PTI)
