KARACHI  -  A judicial magistrate discharged five detained workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in a case pertaining to holding a protest demonstration despite a ban on rallies in the city under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code. Police had rounded up Suleman, Farhan, Wahid, Johan Ali and Ali Naeemuddin on Oct 18 near the Empress Market in Saddar during a protest demonstration for release of party founder Imran Khan. The activists were booked for violating the ban imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC. The investigating officer of the case produced the suspects before the court and asserted that they had committed an offence under Section 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code. A judicial magistrate (South) noted that as provided in Section 195 of CrPC, a magistrate cannot take cognizance of case lodged under Section 188 of the PPC unless the officer concerned or his superior filed a complaint.