ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court remarked how on the basis of a head constable’s statement it deem the former prime minister (Imran Khan) as a traitor, and granted bail to the accused allegedly involved in the Hamza Camp attack.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and comprising Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Musarrat Hilali heard the bail applications of five accused, arrested by the Rawalpindi police for allegedly attacking Hamza Camp related to 9th May incidents.

Awais, Nasrullah, Saifullah, Kamran, and Waqas are accused of damaging the properties at Hamza Camp, Rawalpindi. The bench granted them bail against the surety of Rs50,000 each.

During the proceeding, Justice Mandokhail questioned: “Should we accept a former prime minister as a traitor based on the statement of a head constable?” He then said; “Have some fear of God. Where are we heading?”

Justice Mandokhail observed that banning student unions and political parties had resulted in destruction, and then asked, “Is carrying out rallies or being a worker of a political party a crime?”

Justice Rizvi inquired what evidence was present against the suspects and whether they had been identified from the CCTV footage. The investigation officer (IO) replied, “The protestors had broken the (CCTV) cameras of the venues, including the Hamza Camp.”

Justice Rizvi noted that there was no other evidence than the police testimony. The IO informed the court that first the case was registered and then the suspects were arrested. Justice Mandokhail then asked how the names of the suspects were known before their arrest.

The bench expressed annoyance over the police and the prosecution for their poor investigation of the case.

Justice Mandokhail also stated; “This means there is no evidence against the suspects; only the police statements,” adding; “The police themselves damage the entire case.” He questioned what the reason was to include terror charges in the cases. “How is carrying out rallies [equivalent to] terrorism?” he asked

The Punjab prosecutor general replied that the suspects had “attacked” a camp of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He also said that a head constable of the Lahore Special Branch was also a “witness” in the case, at which, Justice Mandokhail remarked, “The incident took place in Rawalpindi and the witness is from Lahore?”

Justice Mandokhail observed the police did not know what terrorism is, saying; “Terrorism took place in the Army Public School Peshawar incident and the Quetta ‘katcheri’.” “How is carrying out rallies (equivalent to) terrorism?” he asked.

He further inquired; “Is burning tyres (in protest) against the government a huge crime?”

“Detaining everyone is not the solution to the problem,” he said.

The IO said that after the arrest of Imran Khan the protesters through planning attacked sensitive institutions. He said the police had recovered petrol bombs from the accused.

Justice Rizvi questioned whether the police had investigated from where the protesters brought petrol bombs. He asked whether the police had recovered weapons from the accused.

Last year on May 9, protests erupted after the paramilitary Rangers whisked away former prime minister Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court in the UK Pound 190million Al-Qadir Trust case.

According to a report, the city police have so far detained as many as 230 suspects in the GHQ attack case, including Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

They have nominated around 150 unidentified suspects in the Hamza Camp attack and another 100 in the Museum attack case.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024