An anti -terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi on Wednesday rejected the request of the Police of the physical reference of the President of the Muhajir Movement Qaumi AFAQ Ahmed, instead of ordering his Judicial Remand.
AFAQ was arrested in relation to two cases of fires caused in the areas of the Awami colony of Karachi and Landhi, where, according to reports, unidentified persons bise on fire trucks.
The court, however, questioned the legitimacy of the terrorism charges invoked in the case.
During the hearing, the judge expressed skepticism for the accusations, commenting: “How and why was the terrorism clause in this case?” He also declared that if the case lacked sufficient evidence, it could be directly dismissed.
The court also adopted a critical position on political arrests, noting that imprisoning politicians often improves their popularity.
“A gentleman is already in jail and is not being controlled, now another one is asked to leave, and refuses to do it,” said the judge.
AFAQ Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday, after reports from three load vehicles and a water truck that was burned in different areas of Karachi, including Sharifabad and Arrejani Town. The police presented it in the Court in search of a physical return, which was denied by the ATC.
The carriers in Karachi launched a protest on Tuesday in response to a series of incidents involving heavy vehicles that caught fire.
Protesters blocked the main entrance points of the city, including roads that lead to Port Qasim, Hub Chowki and New Sabzi Mandi, which leads to traffic interruptions. Transporters have demanded improvements government security measures to avoid more incidents .
The riots followed a fatal accident before the day, when a motorcyclist, Sadiq Ahmed, 30, was killed in a collision with a Dumper truck near the Musharraf neighborhood in Hawks Bay.
Dumper’s driver fled the scene, but the police have stopped the vehicle and is looking for the driver.
Meanwhile, two more vehicles, a water oil tanker and a trailer, were burned by people not identified in separate incidents, which increases the total number of vehicles burned from morning to four. Police have initiated fire investigations, and the authorities are working to address the growing concerns regarding public safety.
