ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to PTI MPA Sheikh Imtiaz Mehmood in a case related to May 9, 2023 violence.

Headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, the three-judge bench also issued notice to the Punjab prosecution for the next date of hearing.

The interim bail to Mr Sheikh, who is also president of PTI’s Lahore chapter, was granted against a surety bond of Rs200,000.

During the hearing, senior counsel Sardar Latif Khosa argued that his client was arrested after his name was added to the supplementary statement for his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots.

Parties make mistakes during proceedings but prefer to blame courts, SC regrets

The riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of former prime minister and party founder Imran Khan, leading to significant unrest, including attacks on military installations and burning of police vehicles, etc.

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“Why not make the supplementary statement part of the court record,” observed Justice Mandokhail, regretting that the requirement of court record was never completed but parties complained that courts were not doing justice.

“Sorry to say [but] mistakes are committed by you but later [you people] malign the courts for [those] errors,” he regretted.

It will be a different matter had it been done by a junior lawyer, observed Justice Mandokhail and, while pointing to the counsel, noted that the senior lawyer also taught at universities.

Justice Musarrat Hilali, a member of the bench, regretted that events that took place on May 9 were a big incident.

The counsel argued that his client had been granted bail in the case pertaining to attack on the Corps Commander House, Lahore, but later he was nominated for vandalism in front of a bakery in the provincial capital.

Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed while pointing towards the client observed, “Mr Lawyer, here individuals have gone missing or lawyers disappeared, and you are talking about supplementary statement.”

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Justice Mandokhail observed that courts were doing justice, adding that lawyers and courts should move together like two wheels of the chariot.

“Even today in our subordinate judiciary there are God-fearing judges who are dispensing decisions based on justice,” Justice Ahmed observed.

In a lighter note, Justice Hilali wondered why the client could not get the supplementary statement, also reminding that the main secretariat of PTI was in Chamkani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the same Chamkani where the party had conducted its intra-party elections.

Mr Khosa said he had full confidence that the court would do justice.

Later, the court granted interim bail to Mr Sheikh.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024