KARACHI, Jan 1: The judicial magistrate East, Pervez-ul-Qadir Memon, on Tuesday released over one hundred people who were detained or arrested on charges of damaging public and private property and looting during Dec 27 to 31, 2007, from different parts of the city, after the assassination of former primer minister Benazir Bhutto at an election rally at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi.
The police had registered cases against the arrested persons at different police stations under Sections 147, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code for looting and damaging property and vehicles.
The judge, while using his power under Section 63 of the Criminal Procedure Code, released all the arrested persons due to the lack of evidence against them while the prosecution also failed to prove their involvement in the cases.
Meanwhile, two accused were on Tuesday remanded to police custody on charges of arson and rioting in the city on Dec 29.
Waqas and Mohammad Zaheer have been arrested by the Saddar police for offences under Sections 147, 149, 427 and 435 of the Penal Code and booked under the Anti-Terrorist Act.
They were produced before Justice Khwaja Naveed Ahmed, administrative judge for Karachi division’s anti-terrorism courts, who remanded them to police custody till Jan 5.
The investigation officer said the two accused indulged in rioting and arson along with 100 to 130 others, who disappeared from the scene and could not be traced yet. According to the first information report, the detained and absconding accused formed an unlawful assembly and set 12 vehicles afire near Kala Pul.
‘Frivolous’ FIRs
Sindh Caretaker Home Minister Brig (retd) Akhtar Zamin has taken notice of the alleged wrong registration of FIRs against political workers for their involvement in recent disturbances, adds APP.
Political workers and people from all over the province had contacted the home minister regarding the registration of FIRs against them and informed him about the actual situation.
Brig Zamin said no injustice would be allowed to be done to innocent political workers. He said the FIRs registered in connection with the recent disturbances would be reviewed and those found frivolous would be withdrawn.
He asked the people who had a grievance that FIRs had been wrongly registered against them to contact the home department so that their complaints could be redressed.
Talking to the IGP Sindh at his office, Brig Zamin said the elements found involved in violence, destruction and causing damage to public and private property and lawlessness would not be spared.
He said that political workers never got involved in such acts but elements having vested interests took advantage of the situation and indulged in looting and plunder under the cover of protests.
He said stringent action is being taken against such elements and no pressure or favour in their cases would be accepted.
