- Issues notices to the KP Police IG, Interior Ministry and AIG CTD
PESHAWAR: The Anti-Terrorism Court Peshawar on Saturday observed that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) had been “misusing” police power by making arrests without evidence, saying the department’s poor performance had damaged its credibility.
The ATC also issued notices to the Interior Ministry, the KP Inspector General (IG) Police, and the CTD’s Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG).
The court also issued the order while hearing a case concerning Hammaduddin, a suspect who was arrested six years after the 2017 attack on the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) hostel near Peshawar’s University Road.
The court ruled that despite his arrest, there was no evidence against Hammaduddin, and no suspicions were raised about his involvement. The court declared his arrest illegal and ordered his immediate release.
The court noted that despite recurring issues, there has been no improvement in the department’s conduct.
“It is time to reassess the CTD’s performance,” the order maintained.
It is to be recalled that on December 1, 2017, three militants entered the ATI hostel, killing nine people and injuring 37 including teachers, employees, and students of the institute. The attack was claimed by banned Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Six students, the institute’s gatekeeper, and two civilians were among the dead. One police officer, two soldiers, and a journalist were among the injured.
