Man held over anti-army content freed for want of evidence

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while accepting the bail plea of an accused arrested by police for distributing anti-army material, issued an order for his release forthwith.

During the hearing, Justice Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry remarked that police personnel who registered false case(s) should be ashamed, observing that they had failed to prove the allegations against Moazam Rashid.

Earlier, the counsel for Rashid requested the court that the bail plea of his client be accepted, submitting that the police had registered case against his client under the Safety of Pakistan Act without evidence.

Upon this, the counsel for the state argued that anti-material had been recovered from Rashid and subsequently a case was lodged against him with the Sabzazar Police Station. He contended that no accused was entitled to resort to any forum in connection with their bail under the Safety of Pakistan Act.

The court questioned, “What was the standard of investigation of the police when they could not ascertain from the accused during 11 months of investigation as to whom he had distributed anti-army material. Who published those contents and who provided funds to the accused for publishing that book?”

After hearing the arguments, the court issued orders for the release of Moazam Rashid forthwith.