LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday issued notices to the prosecution on post-arrest bail petitions of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in eight cases of May 9 riots.

Advocate Rana Mudassir appeared on behalf of Mr Qureshi and argued that the police nominated the PTI leader in the May 9 cases of Lahore despite the fact that he was in Karachi on that day.

He said no case had been registered against Qureshi in Karachi.

He argued that eight cases had been registered against Qureshi in Lahore on sheer political grounds.

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He said the petitioner had been sent on judicial remand and there was no need to keep him behind bars as the police completed its investigation.

He asked the court to grant post-arrest bail to Qureshi in the eight cases, including attack on Shadman police station, violence on Sherpao Bridge, torching police vehicles near Rahat Bakery and in Gulberg. At present Mr Qureshi is detained in Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, due to involvement in other cases.

In the May 9 cases, the police accused the former foreign minister of inciting people for violence and attacking the state institutions.

Dozens of FIRs were registered against the leaders and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for attacking and vandalising army facilities, public and private properties during the protests of May 9 last year against the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024