The Post
November 07, 2007
Charges against HRCP activists dropped
Staff Reporter
LAHORE: A judicial magistrate Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to 54 human rights activists including HRCP director IA Rehman but they could not be released due to some technical grounds. However, the police was removed from the detention place in the evening, The Post learnt Tuesday.
When the detainees contacted senior police officers to ascertain their status, they were told that all charges against them had been dropped and they were free to go anywhere. Later, HRCP activists went to their homes.
The 54 activists of HRCP also included 24 women out of them 13 women were detained in the house of Malik Pervez, the brother of Attorney General of Pakistan Justice (r) Malik Qayyum. The wife of Malik Pervez was also among the detained activists. The court ordered the release of these activists on furnishing bail bonds amounting to Rs 30,000 each.
Advocate Adnan Tariq appeared in the court on behalf of 54 activists, who were sent to the Kot Lakhpat jail on 14 days judicial remand.
Talking to The Post, Advocate Tariq said that 24 Robkars (court orders) had been issued after acceptance of bail bonds by the court and these accused would be released from the jail on Wednesday (today) while the remaining activists' bail bonds would be furnished in the court on Wednesday (today) after removing some objections raised by the court.
He said that the bail bond of IA Rehman would also be furnished on Wednesday as the court put some objections on it and the court order for his release could not be issued.
A police party led by Model Town SP Imran Ahmar had arrested these human rights activists from HRCP head office in Garden Town on November 4 for creating law and order situation.
The arrested activists had met to discuss the post-emergency situation in the country and the impact of the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) 2007 and curbs on print and electronic media.
The accused in the FIR included HRCP director IA Rehman, secretary general Iqbal Haider, Ashtar Ausaf, Ausaf Ali, Mahboob Ahmad Khan, Salman Akram Bilal Minto, Brig (r) Rao Abid, Mahboob Ahmad Khan, Saleema Hashmi, Dr Ali Cheema, Aliya Ali, Shamsa Ali, Ayesha Malik, Shah Taj Qizilbash, Nasreen Shah, Sameena Rehman and others.
Meanwhile, the activists of the HRCP were released from the Kot Lakhpat jail on Tuesday night. It was further transpired that the government had ordered withdrawal of a case registered against them under section 16 of MPO (Maintenance of Public Order), and Section 146/147 and 188 of Pakistan Penal Code for unlawful assembly and rioting.
