Rawalpindi: 3rd Anti Terrorism Courts (ATCs) have been formally established in the city and District & Session Judge has been appointed judge of 3rd special court.
Due to pending cases registered under clauses of Terrorism Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC), Mansoor Ali Shah ordered establishing three new ATCs in Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi cities of the province three months ago for speedy trial.
First two ATCs of the city since 20 years of their inception have decided almost 4000 cases of sensitive nature including Benazir murder case, former governor Punjab Salman Taseer murder case, former Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz attack case and a number of cases pertaining to attacks on mosques and Imam Bargah.
65 cases filed under clauses of terrorism are still under hearing in already established ATCs of the city. The first ATC in Rawalpindi had been setup during Nawaz Sharif tenure in 1997 after implementation of Anti Terrorism Act 1997 and Saifullah Butter was appointed first judge of ATC.
Second ATC was established in the city in 1999 following rapid increase of cases and overall 18 judges served as ATC judge in both of ATCs of metropolis.
Thousands of culprits have been awarded due punishments after proving guilty in the ATCs since their inception.
Judge of ATC no. 1, Rai Muhammad Ayub Khan Marth has been hearing 43 cases right now including 10 cases of ransom kidnapping, six of extortion, eight of religious hatred, five of involvement in government affairs, four of murder & police encounter and two cases regarding recovery of explosive material.
