Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, sisters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan were shifted to the District Jail Jhelum from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Saturday after an anti-terrorism court rejected a police request to extend their physical remand, Dawn reported.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The court ordered they be shifted to jail on judicial remand.
Police sources said that strict security arrangements are in place at the Jhelum jail, with around 500 prisoners being relocated there in small groups to maintain order. Attempts to contact Jail Superintendent Syed Hassan Mujtaba Shah for comments were unsuccessful, as reported by Dawn.
Earlier, the ATC in Rawalpindi had rejected the extension of the sisters’ physical remand and issued notices regarding their bail applications.
Aleema and Uzma were presented in court under tight security as legal representatives from both sides made their arguments.
Defense counsel Niazullah Khan Niazi argued that there were no grounds for further remand, Dawn reported.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed earlier pressed for further remand, arguing that police needed additional time to recover “critical evidence”, including mobile phones and other materials.
However, Prosecutor Raja Naveed pushed for an extension of remand, claiming the need to recover “critical evidence,” including mobile phones and other materials.
Another defense counsel, Usman Riaz Gill raised concerns about procedural violations in remanding women, arguing that legal protocols were not followed properly. He also requested the court to review footage of the protest to demonstrate the alleged misconduct by the police, as reported by Dawn.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra rejected the request, stating that the USB should be examined by the police investigators instead.
The judge also expressed dissatisfaction with the prosecution’s explanations, pointing out that police should have “documented every development” in the case.
The court issued notices on the bail applications of the suspects, with the next hearing scheduled for Oct 19, Dawn reported.
The court subsequently issued notices on the bail applications for both sisters, with the next hearing scheduled for October 19.-ANI