Rawalpindi ATC approves handing over of 8 suspects to military for trial.

RAWALPINDI -- A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC) directed the superintendent of the garrison city's Adiala Jail on Monday to hand over eights suspects arrested in connection with vandalism at various locations - including military installations - during May 9 protests to the military for trial.

The court's directives were issued in two separate orders, following the submission of applications by military Commanding Officers Farhan Nazir Qureshi and Muhammad Yasir Nawaz Cheema, each seeking the custody of four suspects detained at Adiala Jail in cases registered on May 9.

According to the orders, Qureshi has sought the custody of suspects nominated in a case registered at Civil Lines police station and Cheema has asked for the custody of suspects booked in a case registered at RA Bazar police station.

The orders said the suspects' custody was sought on grounds that they were 'found guilty of offences under Sections 3, 7 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1952 [sic] read with Section2(1)(d) of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, [which are] exclusively triable by military court'.

The deputy prosecutor general did not raise any objections to the applications and forwarded the request for...