LAHORE: Former city SP (security) Salman Ali Khan on Wednesday obtained interim pre-arrest bail from an anti-terrorism court till Sept 5.

Earlier, the officer had withdrawn his bail petition saying he had been exonerated from the charges during initial investigation into the Model Town incident.

However, he filed a fresh bail petition now and said an interim challan of the case submitted to the trial court established his involvement in the June 17 incident. He asked the court to grant him bail as he wanted to join investigation.

The court allowed the plea and directed the petitioner to deposit surety bonds.

reply sought: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought a reply from the Interior Ministry on a petition filed by the families of nine Pakistani citizens recently repatriated from Bagram prison, Afghanistan, seeking access to their loved ones.

The Justice Project Pakistan, a non-profit law firm, filed the petition on behalf of the families saying nine more Pakistani detainees had been released from Bagram and handed over to local authorities.

JPP’s counsel argued that neither the authorities were revealing whereabouts of the released persons, nor giving them access to their families. The counsel asked the court to direct the ministry to produce details of the present status of these persons -- Abdul Nabi, Sadar Muhammad, Zabet, Imran, Muhammad Iqbal, Imtiaz Khan, Shoaib Khan, Latifullah, Imranul Hasan.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Naqvi adjourned hearing for next week and sought reply from the interior ministry.

Plea withdrawn: A lawyer on Wednesday withdrew from the Lahore High Court a petition against holding dharnas and long marches by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

The court took up the petition for hearing, but the petitioner-lawyer failed to establish his case and opted not to press his plea.

Advocate Amjad Mahmood, the petitioner, sought permission to withdraw the petition and the judge allowed it. Federation of Pakistan, Punjab government, prime minister, provincial chief minister, PTI chairman Imran Khan, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and inspector general of Punjab police were among the respondents.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014