TOBA TEK SINGH: A Faisalabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) extended till Oct 3 the bails-before-arrest granted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI ex-secretary general Asad Umar and former law minister Basharat Raja in four May 9 rioting case.

Both Asad Umar and Basharat Raja were present in the court of District and Sessions Judge Rehan Bashir, who also acts as ATC duty judge.

However, Mr Gandapur did not appear in the court.

His counsel, a former federal attorney general, Malik Khalid Shafiq, submitted an application on his behalf that the KP chief minister be exempted from personal appearance due to his official engagements.

The court allowed Mr Gandapur’s request.

The three PTI leaders, along with dozens of others, were booked in four cases registered with different police stations of Faisalabad under section 7 of ATA for their alleged involvement in riots erupting on May 9, 2023, after the arrest of the party founder Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2024