ISLAMABAD  -  More than 40 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were arrested by police shortly after they who were discharged by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Saturday. The arrests were made from the court premises.  

The PTI workers were arrested by police in connection with an arson and vandalism case related to PTI’s November 24 protest in Islamabad.

Earlier, the suspects were presented for identification before ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain late at night, prompting the judge to express displeasure at the timing. Defence lawyer Ansar Kiyani argued that police had arrested innocent workers from their homes to meet quotas. The investigating officer requested a 30-day remand for the suspects, citing failure to complete identification procedures since their arrest on November 25. Judge Zulqarnain ordered the suspects’ handcuffs to be removed in court and discharged them from the cases.  He sternly warned the police against re-arresting them, saying: “If police do this again, I will have them handcuffed.” The suspects were previously linked to cases filed at I-9 and Margalla police stations.

Separately, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi also discharged 29 PTI workers from a case related to the party’s protest in Islamabad last month. A case was registered against PTI workers at Taxila police station on November 27, wherein they were accused of vandalism and arson during protest. The Rawalpindi ATC also sent eight accused to jail on judicial remand.