ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Friday, granted bail to two minors arrested in connection with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s November 24 protest and expressed annoyance over police for not producing the PTI workers before it, who were sent to jail for an identification parade.

ATC judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, while hearing the case, approved bail of Shehzad Khan, 17, and Samandar Khan, 16, against surety bonds of Rs10,000.

During the hearing, defence counsel Wali Khan told the court that both the children were arrested by police from their homes and were named in the first information report (FIR) registered at the Secretariat police station.

The lawyer said that Samandar Khan, 16, had come to Islamabad from Afghanistan with his mother on October 21 for medical treatment. He was picked up from his home located in Shahzad Town.

The child will go back to Afghanistan.

The court expressed its anger over the police for not producing the accused sent to jail for an identification parade and record related to them.

Prosecutor Raja Naveed told the court that the police would reach the court within an hour and a half with the record.

The court granted bail to both the children and ordered their release.

The judge remarked that if the police did not produce the accused sent to jail for an identification parade then the court will summon the inspector general of police (IGP) and the deputy inspector general (DIG) of Islamabad police. Today no apology will be accepted, in any case, produce the accused sent to jail for an identification parade, the judge said.

The judge said that the Islamabad deputy commissioner (DC) should appear before the court and explain why the accused, sent for an identification parade, had not been produced before the court. The court also summoned the relevant assistant commissioners (ACs).

The judge said the police personnel stood outside the jail but jail authorities did not hand over them the accused that were sent there for an identification parade.

The court directed the police to submit the Challan on time.

The prosecutor told the court that the DC would appear before it within half an hour. Later, AC Farhan appeared before the court. Where is the DC, the judge asked the AC.

The AC told the court that the DC is in the Supreme Court. “Do you have any responsibilities? How an identification parade is being conducted?” the judge asked the AC. Police personnel are standing in front of the room, the judge told the AC.

The judge asked where are the documents related to the identification parade. The documents have been produced to the court staff, the AC told the court.

The judge told the AC that “you people have made a spectacle of the day, the people are being humiliated. Children are suffering and you have resorted to highhanded tactics,” the judge told the AC. “I apologize to the court, it would not happen again,” the AC told the court.

The judge told the AC that “you people have become bureaucrats but are doing nothing for the country. If the investigation officer (IO) stands outside your room then I will handcuff you,” the judge said, adding that “if it happens again then he will summon the DC and the ACs in handcuffs.”

“Where are the suspects? Produce them before the court,” the judge told the AC.

The IO told the court that “the accused are currently in Jhelum Jail. I am here, wherever they (the accused) are to be produced them before the court.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024