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LAHORE, Feb 19 (APP):An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has dismissed an application filed by underage driver Afnan and other accused individuals, involved in a car accident that resulted in the tragic deaths of six family members in Defence, seeking the removal of sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) from the case.
The court announced its verdict on application during Wednesday’s proceedings, which had been reserved on January 28 after hearing arguments from all parties.
The court adjourned further trial proceedings until February 28, summoning prosecution witnesses to testify at the next hearing.
ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill conducted the proceedings, during which the main accused, Afnan, and his father, Shafqat Awan, appeared and marked their attendance.
In their application, the accused argued that the police had wrongfully applied ATA sections to the case, claiming the circumstances did not justify their inclusion. They requested the court to remove the ATA sections and transfer the case to a sessions court for further hearings.
The Defence C police had registered the case based on a complaint filed by Rafaqat Ali, who lost his wife, Rukhsana Bibi (45); son, Husnain (25); daughter-in-law, Ayesha (23); son-in-law, Sajjad (30); four-month-old grandson, Huzaifa; and granddaughter, Anaya (4), in the tragic accident.
Besides Afnan, the accused include his father, Shafqat Awan, and his friends Ali Abdullah, Muhammad Saad, and Muhammad Ibrahim. They were charged with multiple offenses in the police challan. The investigation report alleged that Afnan and his friends first harassed female passengers before colliding with their car. Shafqat, a real estate dealer, was accused of allowing his underage son to drive illegally.