ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Tuesday, granted police three-day physical remand of human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazirin a case registered against her related to the collection of funds to fuel anti-state activities.

The ATC Judge, Abu Al-Hasnaat Zulqarnain, while hearing the case, handed over Mazari to police on a three-day physical remand.

The case has been registered at Bhara Kahu police station. According to the FIR, the case was registered under Section 11-N of the Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Section 11-N of the ATA deals with punishment under sections 11-H to 11-K, which include charges of fund-raising, use and possession, funding arrangements, and money laundering for the purpose of terrorism at the complaint lodged by one Shahzad, resident of Naiabadi Bhara Kahu.

Earlier, police produced Mazari before the court who was arrested by police from outside Adiyala jail after she obtained bail in another case. Mazari’s lawyer Zainab Janjua and prosecutor Raja Naveed appeared before the court. At the start of the hearing, the prosecutor read out the text of the FIR registered against Imaan. He told the court that Mazari had been accused of collecting money for anti-state activities. He requested the court to hand over the accused to police on physical remand in order to recover the money collected by her and conduct further investigation. He said that the investigator needed the remand in order to arrest other suspects.

Janjua, Mazari’s counsel, while opposing police’s request, said that the case against her client was registered on August 26. Mazari was in jail on August 26 and her bail petition was to be heard, she said, adding that when her client was released from jail, Bhara Kahu police were already present outside the Adiyala jail. She said that the government had granted the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), a no-objection certificate (NOC) for holding the rally. Multiple cases cannot be registered for the same incident, she said, adding that her client is not a member of the PTM.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023