LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to PTI’s former MNA Rubina Jamil and eight others while denied the same to 39 others including former MNA Alia Hamza and fashion designer Khadija Shah in the Jinnah House attack case.

Sarwar Road police had registered an FIR against several leaders and hundreds of workers of the PTI for attacking Jinnah House, which also serves as Lahore corps commander’s residence, during the May 9 riots.

Following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in a graft case, the PTI had taken out countrywide protests on May 9 that turned violent.

Presiding Judge of ATC-III Arshad Javed allowed the post-arrest bail petitions of former MNA Rubina Jamil, social media activist Sanam Javed, Afshan Tariq, Shahbano, Ashima Shuja, Mubeen Qadri, Syed Faisal Akhtar, Ali Hassan and Mohammad Qasim.

Khadija Shah, 38 others denied bail over attack on corps commander’s house; Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed remanded to jail

The court had earlier granted bail to Ms Jamil in the main FIR, however, she filed an amended petition for bail in new charges lately added by the police.

The police had secured fresh physical remand of the suspects after addition of new offences under section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), section 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting) in the FIR. The police had added the new charges in all cases relating to the May 9 riots.

Advocate Faisal Bajwa argued on behalf of Ms Jamil and other suspects that the police failed to produce any exclusive and direct evidence against the petitioners. He said the petitioners had been attributed to general allegations as the police investigation had not defined their specific role for any charge.

The counsel argued that the Supreme Court had ruled that suspects, especially women with no specific role in the FIR, deserved the relief of post-arrest bail.

Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah opposed the bail petitions saying the suspects committed crime against the state. He said being women did not constitute any right to resort to riots and anarchy.

However, the judge allowed the bail to nine suspects and directed them to furnish surety bonds of Rs100,000.

Separately, Judge Javed dismissed the bail petitions of 39 suspects including former MNA Alia Hamza, Khadija Shah, a granddaughter of former army chief, Samia Asad and Rubina Khan.

The suspects are also on judicial remand in other cases of May 9 protests.

Remand

An anti-terrorism court on Saturday denied further physical remand of PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry and former provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed to police in two cases of May 9 riots.

Naseerabad police produced both leaders before the court seeking further custody of the leaders in cases of torching a container at Kalma Chowk and the party offices of PML-N in Model Town.

Judge Abher Gul Khan turned down the police request and sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand. The judge directed the police to produce the suspects again on Oct 7.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2023