KARACHI: Various courts on Thursday remanded 25 suspects in police custody and 21 others to prison in rioting cases registered against them during protests over the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.

A judicial magistrate ordered the release of 25 detained people against a surety bond of Rs5,000 each.

Police had rounded up them during protests in different parts of the metropolis.

Fourteen suspects apprehended by the Ferozabad police and 11 others by the Tipu Sultan police were produced before the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts, Karachi, and police sought their remand for questioning.

The police contended that the suspects had staged violent protests on the main Sharea Faisal, blocking the thoroughfare, resorting to rioting and causing damage to government and private property.

Many released on bail; ‘Missing’ PTI leader Ali Zaidi’s wife moves SHC to know his whereabouts

The administrative judge handed them over to the police on a five-day physical remand.

Around 25 workers booked and detained by the Shah Latif police were produced before a judicial magistrate of Mali) for remand. However, the PTI’s lawyers contended that the activists were holding peaceful protests and all the offences were bailable. The court ordered their release on bail.

Another 21 detained suspects were produced before a judicial magistrate in the District Court Malir and police sought their physical remand. The Police argued that they were apprehended from within the limits of the Quaidabad police station for rioting and damaging property. The court remanded them in jail custody on for 14 days.

‘Ali Zaidi missing’

Meanwhile, the wife of the PTI Sindh president Ali Haider Zaidi said that her husband was picked up by police a couple of days back from near Kalapul, but he was yet to be produced before any court of law.

Talking to media persons on the premises of the Sindh High Court, Yasmeen Ali Zaidi stated that she had approached the SHC for the recovery of her husband. She alleged that PTI provincial chief was “abducted” by police as his whereabouts were still unknown.

AIG says 223 in police custody

City police chief Javed Alam Odho has said that over one dozen FIRs have been registered against PTI leaders and workers on the charges of arson, terror etc.

“Eighteen FIRs have been registered against PTI leaders and workers and a total of 350 of them detained during the last two days,” said Additional IGP Karachi Javed Alam Odho.

He told Dawn that out of total detained persons, some of them were released by courts while a few others were found innocent. Thus as of today, total 223 PTI workers were in custody of the police. Mr Odho said that eight police officers and personnel, including those of SP and DSP ranks, were injured in stone pelting by PTI workers.

The AIG said that one prison van, one police mobile, one vehicle of KWSB and 25 motorcycles of private citizens were torched during arson acts.

He said that no incident of violence was reported on Thursday from any part of the city. PTI leaders had announced protests on Thursday at a few places but the police took ‘pre-emptive action’ and detained four men and women.

He said the police did not allow PTI workers from gathering at any place in the provincial capital on Thursday as the experience of the past two days showed that they could create a law and order situation by attacking law enforcers and damaging public and private properties.

Reports from some areas suggested that PTI workers held protests for a third consecutive day, against the arrest of their party chief.

South SSP Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that some 20-25 workers of the PTI, including women, held a protest at Teen Talwar on Thursday evening. He added that the police arrested five protesters, including three women.

The South police chief said that on Wednesday night also, some PTI workers had held a demonstration opposite Nuplex in DHA and the police detained seven of them.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2023