Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has approved the physical remand of 156 workers of former premier Imran Khan's party arrested during a protest here, according to a media report. Workers of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested during the November 24 sit-in protest at D-Chowk, and cases have been registered against them at the Secretariat Police Station, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The party members crossed barricades and attempted to reach Islamabad, where a midnight crackdown resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries. The Anti-Terrorism Court here approved a four-day physical remand for 139 of the arrested activists and granted an additional four-day remand for 17 others, the report said.
During the hearing, led by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, the investigating officer requested an extended physical remand for the suspects, alleging that anti-riot kits and sticks were recovered from the PTI workers.
However, the court rejected the request for physical remand of two female detainees, ordering them to be sent on judicial remand instead. The detained women activists, who were arrested on November 24, claimed they had not been provided food or water, according to the report.
The midnight crackdown forced Khan's supporters to evacuate D-Chowk and the adjacent main business district of the capital, ending their protest. His party described the crackdown as a “massacre” under the “fascist military regime,” while police sources reported that about 450 protesters were arrested.
The PTI claimed “hundreds” were killed in the violent clashes with security personnel.
