LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday extended physical remand of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Maulana Muhammad Tahir Saifi for further eight days in a case of inciting people against the top judge of the country.

Police presented the cleric before the court on expiry of his previous remand of five days. The investigating officer stated that further custody of the suspect was required to complete the investigation.

ATC Duty Judge Irfan Haider extended the physical remand of the suspect with a direction to produce him again on Aug 23.

Maulana Saifi was first remanded in police custody on July 30 for seven days.

Several FIRs have been registered against the TLP leaders and workers in different cities since the party’s deputy emir Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah issued a call for violence against Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa during a public rally outside the Lahore Press Club.

In a police crackdown on the suspects, at least two other TLP leaders have also been arrested in Okara, including Tauqir Nasir and Saqib Ibrahim.

PLAYWRIGHT: An ATC extended judicial remand of woman suspect Amna Arooj in a case of alleged honey-trap and kidnap of playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar.

The investigating officer told the court that forensic examination of the suspect’s mobile phone and a viral video had been conducted but the reports of polygraph and voice matching tests were still awaited.

ATC Duty Judge Irfan Haider sent the suspect back to jail on judicial remand with a direction to police to present her again on Aug 29.

A petition of Arooj for bail is pending before the court.

JINNAH HOUSE: An ATC sent PTI leader Amjad Sohail Khan Niazi to jail on judicial remand in the Jinnah House attack case.

Police presented Niazi before the court on expiry of his five-day physical remand.

The police did not seek further custody of Niazi and the court sent him on judicial remand till Aug 29.

Sarwar Road police had arrested Niazi after the cancellation of his pre-arrest bail.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2024