The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court has granted a 14-day physical remand of five individuals who have been accused of being involved in the Askari Tower arson case, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday.

The accused individuals, namely Sadaqat, Adnan, Mateen Khan, and Ameer Abdullah, were identified in a recent identity parade. The hearing was conducted by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Abhar Gul Khan.

The investigating officer, Inspector Zahid Saleem, requested the physical remand of the accused, stating that they had been on the run for an extended period. A case with the number 1271/23 has been registered against the accused at the Gulberg Police Station, and they are allegedly involved in the Askari Tower case. The accused were presented before the court after the completion of the identification parade, and the court granted a fourteen-day physical remand to the police for further investigation.

Meanwhile, 

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court has extended the judicial remand of three PTI women, namely Tasneem Akhtar, Sadiya Naz, and Farkhunda Nabi, for an additional 14 days. These women were allegedly involved in the case of burning police vehicles in Afshan Chowk, Cantt Lahore, on May 9.

The hearing was conducted by Judge Abhar Gul Khan of the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore, and the investigating officer requested the extension of the judicial remand for the three women. He claimed that they were involved in setting fire to the police vehicles, and the case's challan (formal charge sheet) is in the preparation stage. The accused women were identified in the case of arson, and they were arrested in connection with case number 103/23 registered at Sarwar Road police station.

However, Advocate Irfan Alvi, the lawyer representing the accused women, argued that they were arrested from Zaman Park on August 5 and were not involved in the incident of arson that occurred on May 9. This presents a legal dispute that will likely be addressed during the ongoing legal proceedings.

Reporter: Malik Ashraf