Attack on Peshawar Press Club
Federal minister, PML, MPA and eight, others booked under ATA
PESHAWAR, July 01 2006: The police have booked a federal minister, an NWFP Assembly member and eight other Pakistan Muslim League (PML) leaders and activists under the Anti-Terrorism Act {AT A) allegedly for instigating an attack on the Peshawar Press Club (PPC), Engineer Amir Muqaam, federal minister for political affairs and the PML provincial president, MPA Nighat Orakzai and eight others have been booked under the ATA for instigating an attack on the club on Thursday and injuring dissident PML leaders and journalists, Reportedly, PML leaders Nighat Orakzai, Arbab Akbar Hayat, Rahim Dil Nawaz and Dilawar along with armed supporters attacked the club allegedly at the behest of Amir Muqaam, after the club administration rejected their demand to not to allow some dissident PML leaders to hold a press conference at the club.
The club administration registered a first information report (FIR) against the attackers with the East Cantonment Police Station, which booked the accused under sections 509, 352, 109, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The club administration asked the police to book the accused under the ATA, but they refused. Later, various journalist associations protested and demanded the provincial government book the accused under the ATA. They called the attack “an open act of terrorism”, As a result, the provincial government ordered a case against the accused under the ATA. Soon after she was booked under various sections of the PPC, Nighat Orakzai was given bail before-arrest by Additional Sessions Judge Asim Imam, but her bail was cancelled after a case was registered against her under the ATA.
Muqaam was not available for comment, as he was out of the district. However, the East Cantonment police on Thursday arrested four PML activists – Reham Dil, Rahmtullah, Adnan and Zawar Sahah – for involvement in the attack and a trial court sent them to Peshawar Central Jail on judicial remand. The police continued raids on Friday and arrested five other PML activists including Khan Mi Maghul, Abdullah, Khial Jan am Rehmat Shah. Police officials told Daily Times that they were raiding the houses of the PML leaders involved in the attack, but no one had been arrested so far. Peshawar Press Club President Syed Bukhar Shah said that PML leaders and activists attacked the club at the behest of Muqaam. He said that the accused had asked the club administration not to al10w the dissident PML leaders to hold a press conference at the club, “PML activists cannot to take such an extreme step. They did it on the cal1 of their provincial president, therefore we have included him in the FIR.” AKHTAR AM IN
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/1/2006
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