LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday granted interim protective bail to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s former leader Hamid Zaman in another case of ‘foreign funding’ registered against him by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Karachi.

Allowing the bail petition, Justice Waheed Khan restrained the FIA from arresting the petitioner till Nov 3.

Earlier, Advocate Asjad Saeed appeared on behalf of the petitioner and stated that the FIA registered cases cases against his client in different cities. He said the petitioner had already been released on bail in a case registered in Lahore, while secured protective bail in another case lodged in Islamabad by the agency.

The counsel argued that the petitioner wanted to approach the court concerned in Karachi for the relief of bail, but there was a likelihood of his arrest by the agency. He asked the court to grant the petitioner protective bail so he could approach the relevant court of law in Karachi.

Banking Court: A special court for offence in banks granted interim pre-arrest bail to two suspects nominated in a case of ‘foreign’ funding against the PTI leaders by the FIA-Lahore.

Allowing the bail petitions of Mubashir Ahmad and Tariq Shafi, Presiding Judge Aslam Gondal restrained the FIA from arresting the petitioners till Nov 2.

A counsel on behalf of the petitioners argued before the court that a co-suspect Hamid Zaman had already been granted post-arrest bail.

He said though the allegations against the petitioners were fabricated, they wanted to join the investigation.

The judge granted the bail to the petitioners with a direction to furnish bail bonds of Rs1 million each.

The FIA alleged that Mr Shafi got registered a bogus trust titled ‘The Insaf Trust’ as its chairman to give an impression that it belonged to the PTI. He mentioned Ashiq Hussain Qureshi as deputy chairman, Hamid Zaman as secretary general, Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry and Mubashir Ahmad as trustees in the registration documents.

The agency said the funding received in the trust was used for the PTI’s political campaigns.

It further alleged that the suspects and Arif Naqvi of Abraaj Group, in collusion with the PTI leadership and others, committed a fraud.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2022