- Court rejects physical remand request for Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, sends him to judicial custody
ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday sent PTI lawmakers – Sher Afzal Marwat, Aamir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Maulana Naseem Shah, Ahmed Chattha, and others in police custody on eight-day physical remand, while sent Advocate Shoaib Shaheen to jail on judicial remand, rejecting the request for his physical remand.
The Islamabad police in an overnight crackdown had arrested PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and other MNAs, including Sher Afzal Marwat from Parliament House in connection with cases registered by the Sangjani police over violation of public gathering regulation and clashes with police during the PTI’s rally on Sunday.
The violations include disrupting the agreed route, breaching commitments, attacking Islamabad police, exceeding permitted timings, and delivering anti-state speeches.
On Tuesday, the Islamabad Police produced the arrested PTI lawmakers before ATC Judge Abul Hasnaat Zulqarnain.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed requested a 15-day physical remand of the accused, stating that they used police equipment during the attack on police and that police kits were yet to be recovered following their party’s rally in Islamabad’s Sangjani on Sunday.
Raja Naveed argued that while no recovery was directly tied to Shaheen, “everything was done under his instructions,” which warranted the remand request. Shaheen’s lawyers opposed this, urging the court to discharge him from the case.
When asked, the court was informed that around 60 to 70 individuals had been arrested. After hearing the arguments, the court rejected the physical remand request for Shoaib Shaheen and ordered his transfer to jail on judicial remand.
The court also requested arguments for his post-arrest bail application tomorrow.
Six PTI members of the National Assembly (MNAs), including Sher Afzal Marwat, Aamir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Maulana Naseem Shah and Ahmed Chattha, were presented in court, where police requested their remand.
Marwat questioned the legitimacy of the case, saying, “Does the police have a single witness? This FIR was filed this morning, and [PTI Chairman] Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was discharged on the same evidence we are being presented with here.”
The court noted, “You had a Kalashnikov, he did not,” to which Marwat responded, “You are fabricating this. I only had a pistol.”
After reviewing the police’s request, the court granted an 8-day physical remand for the five MNAs and three other suspects.
The court ordered their return for further proceedings after the remand period concludes.
