Ichhra incident suspects sent for identity parade

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday allowed the police to shift two suspects to jail for identification parade in the Ichhra Bazaar incident case.

The police presented the suspects – Khurram Shahzad and Chand Butt – before the court. The investigating officer requested the court to allow shifting of the suspects to jail for the identity parade.

Judge Arshad Javed allowed the request and sent the suspects to jail for three days with a direction to the police to strictly observe all legal formalities during the parade.

The other day, the judge had granted post-arrest bail to three suspects – Muhammad Nadeem, Adil Sarwar and Altimash Saqlain – in the woman harassment case. The police discharged two other suspects, including Maulana Aleemuddin Shakir and Khalid Shehansha.

The FIR alleged that dozens of religiously charged people accused a woman of blasphemy in Ichhra Bazaar as they confused the Arabic calligraphy on her shirt with Quranic verses. The mob threatened to kill the woman.

A Christian man gave the woman shelter in his shop until a police team, led by ASP Sheharbano Naqvi, rescued the woman and shifted to a police station.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2024