Awami Raj Party MNA Jamshed Dasti was released from District Jail Sargodha on Monday after his plea for bail in two separate cases was accepted by a Sargodha Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

The two cases pertaining to hate speech and water theft had been shifted to an ATC in Sargodha from Muzaffargarh.

Surprisingly, 150 lawyers had appeared in court to plead for Dasti's bail in the two cases.

Greeted by a crowd of his supporters after his release from jail, Dasti thanked the judiciary for taking note of his case.

"I offer my well wishes to the high court for taking notice of my case," a relieved Dasti said speaking to reporters outside jail.

"I can proudly say that the independent judiciary is not under the influence of anyone," he added.

Last week, Dasti, who was remanded for six days to police custody on June 23, had alleged that he was being tortured and starved by police in the Multan Central Jail.

A medical exam conducted by the Punjab government on Friday 'revealed' that no marks of violence were found during the MNA's examination.

The examination report, prepared by a board of five doctors from the local District Headquarters Hospital, had found there were no visible marks of violence on the MNA's body.

A Muzaffargarh police team had arrested Dasti in a case that Civil Lines police had registered against him back in his hometown.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Shahbaz Ahmed had allowed six-day judicial remand of the accused.

Dasti alleged that he had been framed and false cases had been registered against him. "I am not at fault, I am a poor man. They drag me and beat me," he had added.

Over all, there are 25 cases pending against Dasti in various courts.

Opinion

Editorial

Ultimate price
Updated 02 Nov, 2024

Ultimate price

To dismantle culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, state must ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished.
Mastung bombing
02 Nov, 2024

Mastung bombing

INSTABILITY continues to haunt Balochistan, as Friday morning’s bombing in Mastung has shown. At least nine...
Plane speak
02 Nov, 2024

Plane speak

DESPITE all its efforts to facilitate PIA’s privatisation, it seems the government only ended up being taken for a...
Seeking investment
Updated 01 Nov, 2024

Seeking investment

Foreign visits will be fruitless unless crucial structural, policy reforms directly affecting investors are focused.
State-backed terror
01 Nov, 2024

State-backed terror

OVER the past year or so, India’s reportedly malign activities in foreign countries have increasingly come under the radar, with
Shared crisis
01 Nov, 2024

Shared crisis

WITH Lahore experiencing unprecedented levels of smog, the Punjab government has announced a series of “green...