KARACHI: Six Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders and members of the provincial assembly were granted pre-arrest bail by different courts on Friday.

An antiterrorism court on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to PTI leader Ali Haider Zaidi in a case pertaining to arson, violence, attacking policemen and terrorism.

Police had booked Mr Zaidi along with other leaders and activists for allegedly resorting to violent protest, arson, assault on policemen and causing terrorism at the Numaish traffic intersection.

On Friday, the PTI’s former federal minister moved an application before the administrative judge of the ATCs seeking grant of bail to avoid his arrest.

He submitted that the police had booked him in the present case with mala fide intentions for their ulterior motives to subject them to political victimisation.

Mr Zaidi denied the allegations declaring them false and asked the court to grant him interim bail before arrest as he intended to join the investigation but apprehended his arrest by police.

The judge granted interim bail till June 8, subject to furnishing a surety of Rs100,000.

The judge also issued notices and fixed the matter for June 8 for confirmation or otherwise of the interim bail.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court also granted seven-day protective bail to five PTI lawmakers in a case registered against them over violence and breakdown of law and order at Numaish intersection on May 25.

Without touching the merits of the case, the SHC granted protective bail against surety bond of Rs30,000 each and directed the applicants to surrender before the trial court till June 2.

PTI MPAs Khurrum Sher Zaman, Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Arsalan Taj, Jamal Siddiqui and Ali Aziz had approached the SHC for protective bail and argued that they had been implicated in the cases due to political rivalry.

They added that they were ready to appear before trial court.

However, they expressed the apprehension of their imminent arrest and humiliation at the hands of police and moved the SHC for legal shelter.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2022