LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Friday granted pre-arrest bail to 14 leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), including its Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, in cases of resorting to violence during the party’s last month long march.

The PTI leaders appeared before the court along with their counsel.

Shahdara and Gulberg police had registered the FIR on multiple charges and also included the offence under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The petitioners’ counsel argued that the police registered a fabricated case on political consolidation. He asked the court to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioners as police wanted to arrest them.

On the other hand, an investigating officer stated the custody of the petitioners was required to complete investigation. He previously filed an application before the court for issuance of arrest warrants of the petitioners.

Party condemns FIR under ATA

However, the court granted pre-arrest bail to the petitioners subject to furnishing of bail bonds of Rs100,000 each and restrained the police from arresting them till June 17.

Other PTI leaders who were allowed bail include Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mahmood, Andleeb Abbas, Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, Zubair Khan Niazi, Imtiaz Mahmood Sheikh, Murad Raas, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Yasir Gilani and Malik Nadeem Abbas.

Talking to the media outside the court, Mr Azhar alleged that the police registered a bogus case against the opposition leaders on the instructions of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

He said the government wanted to make Pakistan a fascist state.

He sought an inquiry to determine whether FIA official Dr Muhammad Rizwan and Maqsood ‘chaprasi’ (peon), an employee of the Ramzan Sugar Mills, died naturally or were murdered.

REACTION: The PTI leadership has condemned government action of instituting anti-terrorism cases against party leaders.

Central Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, who appeared at the anti-terrorism court, told the media that she was not a terrorist and the government had implicated her in the case on the instructions of Rana Sanaullah and Maryam Nawaz.

She condemned the Punjab government for including non-bailable offences in the cases.

PTI central Punjab general secretary Hammad Azhar said some 10 FIRs had been launched against Dr Yasmin Rashid, Andleeb Abbas and other leaders.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2022