ISLAMABAD: A local court of Islamabad on Tuesday granted pre-arrest interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in two cases related to May 9 violence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Syed Haroon Ahmed granted him bail in the case registered with the Khanna police station against Mr Qureshi.

His lawyer Ali Bukhari represented him in the court.

The counsel argued that the PTI’s vice chairman believed in the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. He requested the court to accept the bail petition.

The court granted bail to the accused till July 4, against surety bonds of Rs10,000.

In another case, additional district and sessions judge Tahir Abbas Sipra granted pre-arrest inte­rim bail to Mr Qureshi till June 19, in the FIR registered with the Tarnol police station, against surety bonds of Rs10,000.

While talking to reporters, Mr Qureshi termed both the cases baseless. He said the cases were registered against him in Islamabad, while he was in Karachi.

He criticised the ruling coalition for presenting a tricky budget and said that the government’s economic managers are not on the same page on this budget.

He also criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his alleged carelessness saying that the economy is on the verge of collapse but the government has its own priorities.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2023