An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Saturday granted interim bail to PTI leaders in the case related to violence in the Azadi March.
Previously, police had registered 42 cases against senior leaders and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. However, Police also added section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in the first investigation report (FIR) on Saturday.
The court granted interim bail to PTI leaders till June 28 directing them to cooperate during the investigation. Court also directed the police to submit the case record at the next hearing.
Dr. Yasmin Rashid speaking to the media said that the incumbent government is only focused on political victimization instead of taking measures against rising inflation in the country. She said that they cannot be scared and protests would continue.
Hammad Azhar said that he had never assumed that he would be congratulated on the FATF matter in such a way. He said that undeterred the party would continue the struggle.
FIR was registered against 13 PTI leaders that included Party’s Central Punjab President Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Andleeb Abbas, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife Musarrat Jamshed, Ijaz Chaudhry, Zubair Khan Niazi, Yasir Gillani, Nadeem Abbas, Mian Akram Usman and Imtiaz Sheikh.
Advocate Burhan Moazzam Malik had filed the application for bail in court on behalf of PTI leaders. The plea had mentioned that the cases are mala fide and that the political leaders were politically victimized.
On the other hand, in a separate case against violations of section 144 along with attacks on officials of law enforcement agencies the ATC court had extended interim bails of PTI leaders.
Previously, the court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Zubair Niazi, Shafqat Mehmood, Murad Raas, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, Yasir Gilani, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Akram Usman in attempt to avoid arrest but later on bail was granted till June 17 that again got extended to June 28.
