ISLAMABAD: A special court, on Tuesday, dismissed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s plea seeking an extension in the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Raoof Hasan and others and sent them to jail on judicial remand in a case registered against them regarding allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda.

Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir Bhatti, while hearing the case, rejected the FIA’s application and sent Hasan and other accused on 14-day judicial remand.

Earlier, the FIA’s officials produced Hasan and other accused including Waqas Ahmad, Afaq Ahmad Alvi, Hamidullah, Rashid Mehmood, Zeeshan Farooq, Syed Osama Wajid, Muhammad Rizwan Afzal, Muhammad Rafiq, and Syed Hamza before the court after the expiry of their remand.

According to the written order of the court, the investigation officer (IO) of the case told the court that the purpose of extension in the physical remand of the accused as the agency has to arrest more people on the pointation of the arrested accused.

The order says that the prosecution failed to produce any concert grounds for an extension of physical remand of the accused.

At the start of the hearing, the prosecutor, Aamir Sheikh, requested the court to extend the physical remand of the accused for another five days to conduct further investigation from them. Sheikh told the court that the technical report had been received and all the accused were in contact with each other.

PTI lawyer Ali Zafar, while arguing before the court, objected to the FIA’s request and told the court that the seven-day physical remand of Raoof and others has been completed, Raoof’s health is not good, and check-ups should be conducted.

The court after hearing arguments allowed Hasan medical check-up and rejected FIA’s request regarding an extension in the physical remand of the accused. The court ordered to produce accused before it on August 13.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024