Ex-PTI MPA handed over to police for two more days in riot case

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted on Thursday two-day police remand of Raja Azhar, a former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA, in connection with another case related to the May 9 rioting.

Azhar, along with other party leaders and activists, has been booked in multiple identical cases registered at different police stations for his alleged involvement in violent protests following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9. Azhar was taken into custody on Monday.

The Tipu Sultan police produced the detained PTI leader before the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts on the completion of his previous two-day physical remand and said he had also been arrested in a case lodged at the Ferozabad police station, requesting the judge to extend his physical remand for investigation in this case.

Defence lawyer Zahoor Mahsud, opposing the police's remand plea, argued that there was no need for it because the police had already completed the investigation in these cases and co-accused had also been granted bail.

The judge, however, handed over the custody of Raja Azhar to the police for two more days with a direction to present on the next date on August 26.

FIRs have been lodged under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 at the Tipu Sultan, Ferozabad and Shah Faisal police stations.