KARACHI: Many leaders and workers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have been booked in a rioting and intimidation case, it emerged on Monday.

The City Courts police registered the case against PTI’s Sindh chapter chief Ali Zaidi, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh and others under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 506-B (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, told Dawn on Monday that the case was registered on the complaint of Inspector Faisal Gul, who is the investigating officer of the case against PTI leader Hassan Niazi registered at the Jamshed Quarters police station.

He said that the case pertained to alleged hooliganism during the court appearance of Mr Niazi in Ramazan by PTI leaders and workers that created hindrances in the performance of police’s official work.

He said that the complainant had submitted an application for registration of an FIR and the police accepted it on Sunday night.

Asad Umar gets protective bail for seven days

The Sindh High Court on Monday granted seven-day protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) general secretary Asad Umar in a case registered against him in Islamabad.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha ordered that the bail was subject to furnishing solvent surety of Rs25,000 and directed him to appear before the court concerned within stipulated period.

The PTI leader along with his counsel appeared in the SHC. His lawyers argued that a case was registered against him at Margala police station for taking out a rally in support of the judiciary on May 6, allegedly without permission of local administration.

The lawyers further argued that they approached Islamabad High Court after the deputy commissioner had refused to grant permission for the rally and the IHC had directed the DC to hear the petitioner and decide application in accordance with the law through reasoned order, who failed to implement court order and turned down the same again.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2023