The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Tuesday granted the police a further two-day physical remand of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma Khanum.
Hundreds of PTI activists, including senior leaders and the two sisters, had gathered at multiple locations in the capital, defying heavy police blockades and road closures, while authorities dug trenches and placed iron nails on a stretch of the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway to prevent protesters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from reaching the capital.
Despite the placing of hundreds of containers to secure entry points and key areas across the capital and the imposition of Section 144, demonstrators managed to converge at various sites, including the edge of the high-security Red Zone, at D-Chowk.
Police rounded up over 100 PTI members, including Imran’s two sisters. Violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials were reported throughout the day, with several instances of stone-pelting and tear gas exchanges being witnessed.
Following the incident, a case was registered against Aleema and Uzma under terrorism provisions in connection with D-Chowk violence by Kohsar police.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra had granted a one-day physical remand of the two sisters a day ago after they were taken into police custody.
Both sisters appeared before the court today after the completion of their physical remand.
The hearing
Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed, representing the government, requested a 10-day physical remand for the sisters, saying that both of them “encouraged workers to protest on a megaphone and asked them to pelt stones on the police which injured the policemen”.
While the megaphone had been recovered from the suspects, Naveed asked Aleema and Uzma to hand over mobile phones through which videos were made.
The prosecutor said that people were “provoked through a well-thought-out plan and everything happened under a conspiracy”, requiring further investigation.
Lawyers Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, Niazullah Niazi and Ali Bukhari represented the sisters.
At the beginning of the hearing, Chaudhry requested the court for a medical check-up.
“Medical reports have not been submitted to the court yet,” Chaudhry said, reading out the first information report (FIR).
“The family is being targeted for revenge as the PTI founder, his wife and nephew are in jail,” he said.
According to the prosecutor, Aleema and Uzma were named in another case registered at the Abpara police station.
Meanwhile, lawyer Niazullah said that at the time of arrest, Aleema and Uzma had nothing in their possession, adding that they were “illegally” detained.
“They have been accused of chanting slogans. Has chanting slogans become a crime in Pakistan?” Niazi questioned.
He went on to say that the PTI founder was blamed for allegedly giving advice from jail and his sisters were raising slogans.
“Eleven judges of the Supreme Court called PTI a political party in special seats, but the government wants to abolish the fundamental rights of the citizens by amending the Constitution,” he said.
Bukhari said that Aleema and Uzma were only arrested because they were “sisters of PTI founder”.
The ATC Judge asked if Aleema and Uzma should be investigated further to which Naveed said that the case against them was “of a serious nature”.
Rejecting the 10-day physical remand request, the court granted the police the suspects’ custody for another two days.
