LAHORE: A sessions court on Wednesday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of 11 MPAs and leaders of PML-N in a case relating to violence in the Punjab Assembly on the day of election of chief minister on April 16.

The leaders including Attaullah Tarar, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Saiful Malook, Rukhsana Kausar, Yasin Sohal, Mirza Javed, Khizar Khagha, Raja Sagheer Ahmad, Ghulam Habib Awan, Awais Leghari and Mian Rauf appeared before the court.

The court extended their bail till Sept 19 and directed the police to submit its investigation report.

Initially Qilla Gujjar Singh police had registered a case against the MPAs of PTI and PML-Q and staff of the assembly on charges of resorting to violence during the election of the chief minister, wherein Hamza Shehbaz emerged victorious against Parvez Elahi.

The MPAs of the coalition government were also charged with manhandling then deputy speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.

Several MPAs of the PTI and PML-Q besides staff of the assembly, including then secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, had secured pre-arrest bail from the court in the case.

After the victory of Mr Elahi in a run-off election for the chief minister, police changed the direction of its investigation towards the MPAs of PML-N and started summoning them. Police also got warrants from a judicial magistrate concerned for the arrest of the PML-N MPAs, which made them seek bail from the court.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2022