By our correspondent

The police submitted their report before an administrative judge (AJ) of the Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATC) in Karachi, regarding protestors of the banned Hizbut Tahrir (HT), who were booked for holding an anti-war protest in Saddar in May.

The Investigation Officer (IO) submitted that the case against the protestors has been classified under ‘A’ class, because sufficient evidence was not found against the protestors.

On May 31, the police had arrested as many as 17 alleged activists of the banned HT, mostly students of professional institutions of the city.

The police alleged that the activists of the banned HT were holding a protest in the limits of the Preedy Police Station, and spreading terrorism by inciting people. The police also recovered and confiscated banners and posters inscribed with anti-US slogans from the possession of the arrested activists. The slogans on the confiscated banners alleged that the US was responsible for engendering internecine wars among Muslims.

The IO mentioned that the HT was banned by the government in 2003. The HT activists were booked under sections of the Loud Speaker Act, and sections 148 and 147 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 11-W of the Anti Terrorism Act.

The protestors had already been released on bail by the ATC judge on June 10. The IO also informed that there is no evidence warranting implication of the suspects, and that the case has been based upon photographs that are circumstantial. The police report for disposal of the case was produced before the ATC judge for approval. Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi accepted that the police report disposed of the case.

The News