ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Monday remanded former senator Mushtaq Ahmad and co-accused Daniyal into police custody for three days after they were arrested in connection with a rally held in support of protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Duty Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen approved the three-day physical remand after Islamabad police produced the two accused before the court.

The prosecution had sought a 30-day physical remand, arguing that investigators required more time to recover a vehicle and an allegedly illegal weapon linked to the case.

Police registered the case at Shalimar Police Station after Mushtaq Ahmad and others organised a rally at F-10 Markaz in support of protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Mushtaq Ahmad has been a vocal supporter of the AJK protest movement and has repeatedly called for greater political and constitutional rights for the territory.

The Islamabad rally took place amid heightened tensions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where the banned Azad Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (AAC) and its supporters have been staging sit-ins and road blockades for more than a month.

The unrest, driven by socio-economic grievances and disputes over the AJK elections, has escalated into violent clashes between protesters and security forces, resulting in the deaths of several civilians and law enforcement personnel.

Authorities in Islamabad have maintained heightened security measures and frequently imposed restrictions on public gatherings to prevent the unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir from spreading to the federal capital.