KARACHI: An antiterrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted bail to a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) legislator and its 11 activists held earlier in an alleged terrorism and rioting case.

Police had booked and arrested the opposition party’s several leaders and workers for staging sit-ins across the city in protest against the teargas shelling and baton charge by the law enforcers outside former prime minister Imran Khan`s Lahore residence on March 14.

On Monday, detained MPA Shah Nawaz Jadoon and others moved applications, through their counsel, seeking grant of post-arrest bail in an identical case.

Their counsel Zahoor Mehsud submitted that his clients along with other leaders and scores of the PTI activists had been booked and arrested in false cases lodged at the behest of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party to subject them to political victimisation for their ulterior motives.

He argued that while the sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) were bailable, the case did not attract the provisions of the anti-terror law; therefore, his clients might be admitted to post-arrest bails.

Jail authorities release MPA Jadoon

On the other hand, the state prosecutor opposed the bail pleas, arguing that the nominated PTI lawmaker and workers were allegedly involved in arson attacks, violence and causing terror during their sit-ins. He pleaded to dismiss the bail pleas for being devoid of the merit.

After hearing the arguments, the ATC-XV judge, who conducted trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, granted bail to MPA Jadoon and 11 activists, subject to furnishing a surety of Rs10,000 each.

Advocate Mahsud confirmed to Dawn that Mr Jadoon and activists had been released from the Karachi central prison after the surety amount was deposited in compliance with the court’s order.

Currently, PTI’s Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, MPA Saeed Afridi, MPA Arsalan Taj and party’s provincial vice-president Masroor Sial are already on bail in identical cases.

Police had lodged cases under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty ), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 (acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at Peerabad, Docks, Shah Latif Town, Sachal and several other police stations on behalf of the state.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2023