Daily Times

Judicial Magistrate Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday sent 23 individuals to Adiala Jail, a day after they attended a protest outside Islamabad’s National Press Club against the arrest of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen. On Tuesday, Islamabad police had arrested PTM leader and MNA Mohsin Dawar and 28 others from outside the press club where they had gathered to stage a protest against the arrest of Pashteen, who was arrested from Peshawar on Monday and shifted to Dera Ismail Khan in a sedition case. Following the protest, a case was registered against 23 individuals by the Kohsar Police Station on various charges including sedition. Dawar, however, was not included in the first information report (FIR).

As per the FIR, the protesters had been informed that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was imposed in the Islamabad territory as a result of which five or more than five people are not allowed to gather. It stated, however, the protesters had chanted slogans against the Pakistan Army and the State and had chanted slogans in favour of Pashteen. They had also blocked a road.

The 23 attendees of the protest were presented before the judicial magistrate in a local court in Islamabad on Wednesday as the police requested judicial remand. Sending the 23 individuals to Adiala Jail, the judicial magistrate ordered that they be presented again on February 12. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Dawar confirmed that he had been released from jail and added that other protesters remained in custody.