'Over 100 remanded in police custody for two days in Bahria Town violence case', 8 June 2021

An antiterrorism court on Monday remanded in police custody as many as 120 leaders and activists of the Sindh Action Committee (SAC) held for allegedly resorting to violence, ransacking and torching private properties in Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) during their protest against the mega housing scheme a day before. Following Sunday’s violence, police arrested the suspects and booked them in cases pertaining to torching restaurants, shops, vehicles and looting money from ATMs. On Monday, the investigating officer produced the suspects before the administrative judge of the ATCs to seek their physical remand in police custody for interrogation and investigation... The judge also directed ... to ensure provision of medical treatment to some suspects, who were produced in injured condition... According to the FIR, the BTK’s security manager stated that some nationalist groups including the Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh and Awami Tehreek had on May 21 announced a protest against the BTK. He stated that the nationalist leaders including Qadir Magsi, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Sanan Qureshi, Jan Mohammad Junejo along with 8,000 to 10,000 people gathered outside the BTK’s main gate [on Sunday], where they delivered speeches against the project and allegedly incited their workers to violence... Also on Monday, representatives of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and senior politician Dr Farooq Sattar separately visited BTK on Superhighway to express solidarity with the residents who suffered financial losses and mental agony due to Sunday’s violence...