An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has released 32 people who were arrested during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at D-Chowk.
The suspects were presented before ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain late at night, which caused the judge to express frustration with the timing. Defence lawyer Ansar Kiyani argued that the police had arrested innocent PTI workers from their homes to meet arrest quotas. The investigating officer asked for a 30-day remand for the suspects, claiming the identification process was incomplete since their arrest on November 25.
However, Judge Zulqarnain ordered the suspects' handcuffs to be removed and discharged them from the cases. He also warned the police that if they attempted to re-arrest the suspects, he would order their handcuffing. The arrested individuals were linked to cases filed at I-9 and Margalla police stations.
The protest, organized by PTI last month in Islamabad, was meant to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. However, the demonstration ended abruptly after a midnight crackdown by the government. PTI protesters were forced to leave the Red Zone in Islamabad after law enforcement intervened. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, fled the protest site.
Over 1,000 PTI supporters were arrested by law enforcement during the protests. Imran Khan’s aides claimed that many protesters were injured, some with gunshot wounds, but no immediate evidence was provided.