LAHORE: A sessions court on Tuesday confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail of 10 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 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.

Additional District & Sessions Judge Yasin Mohal confirmed the pre-arrest bail of the petitioners subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

The other day, the judge had also confirmed the pre-arrest bail of special assistant to prime minister Attaullah Tarar in the case.

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.

Another sessions court extended pre-arrest bail of the PML-N MPAs till Oct 4 in a separate case of snatching ballot papers during the run-off election of the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2022