ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday granted pre-arrest interim bail to senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the case pertaining to sit-in of 2014.

In August 2014, PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehrik had staged a sit-in in Islamabad which continued till December that year. The protest had continued for a record 104 days.

On Sept 1, 2014, while the sit-in was still in progress the protesters stormed the Pakistan Television (PTV) headquarters and some area of the Parliament.

The police had registered cases against PTI chairman Imran Khan, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and several other leaders of PTI.

The PTI leadership remained absconder in this case for about three years. Imran Khan, however, surrendered before the court in November last year at a time when the court started process to confiscate his properties.

PTI leaders including Dr Shireen Mazari, Asad Umar and Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday applied bail before the ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand.

The court granted bail to Mazari, Umar and Mehmood on surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.

Earlier on November 17, the same court approved the interim bail of Khan.

The court would resume proceeding on January 23.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018