KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday directed the investigation officer of a `staged` encounter case against two policemen to incorporate the relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the FIR.

Constables Zafar Abbas and Punhal have been booked for allegedly killing 17-year-old Syed Ateequllah, a cadet at the Rangers Public School located on Superhighway, and wounding his cousin, Azizullah, in a staged shootout on Oct 7 near NIPA traffic intersection.

The IO produced the policemen before a judicial magistrate (east) and sought their custody for questioning.

However, complainant`s lawyer Amanullah Yousafzai argued that the suspects were posted at the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station, but they illegally carried out the alleged shootout within the remit of Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station.

He maintained that the victims were unarmed and the offence came within the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 as it created a sense of fear and insecurity among the public.

The public prosecutor submitted that the matter was under investigation and the facts would be ascertained after the completion of the probe.

While handing both the suspects to police on three-day transit remand, the magistrate directed the IO to incorporate the relevant section of the ATA in the case and produce the suspects before the administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts after Ashura.

The case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station after the Sindh chief minister and the inspector general of police had ordered an inquiry into the killing of the Rangers` cadet.

50 violators of pillion-riding ban released Around 50 people detained for violating a ban on pillion riding in the city were released by dif ferent courts on Monday.

Police arrested the suspects in different parts of the city for allegedly defying a ban imposed by the authorities under Section 144 (power to issue order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the criminal procedure code for maintaining the law and order in the city during Muharram.

The arrested persons were produced before area magistrates, who set them free after obtaining a surety of Rs5,000 each.

On Sunday, the judicial magistrates performing special duties at the City and Malir courts had also released more than 100 suspects arrestedin theidenticalcases.

The pillion-riding ban came into effect on Saturday evening and will continue till Muharram 11.

Meanwhile, an antiterrorism court sentenced on Monday an accused to seven years in prison in an explosives case.

Shahab Anjum was found guilty of carrying a grenade in Bilal Colony in May this year.