LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday extended the pre-arrest bail of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founding chairman Imran Khan and former secretary general Asad Umar in the May 9 cases.

Judge Naveed Iqbal heard the bail petitions of Khan in the cases of attacks on the Jinnah House, Shadman police station and Askari Tower of Gulberg. He directed the counsel of the PTI founder to advance his arguments on March 15.

Last week, another anti-terrorism court had confirmed the pre-arrest bail of Khan in four cases including murder of Zille Shah, attack on police outside Zaman Park, and torching offices of PML-N in Model Town and a container at Kalma Chowk on May 9.

Separately, Judge Naveed Iqbal extended the pre-arrest bail of PTI’s former secretary general Asad Umar in Shadman police station attack case till March 16.

Mr Umar did not appear before the court and his lawyer filed an application for a one-time exemption from personal appearance.

The judge allowed the application and extended the bail of the former leader of the PTI.

The judge adjourned trial proceedings in cases of burning police vehicles against PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, former minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and other suspects.

The judge is likely to indict the suspects on March 20 in both cases.

BAIL: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to 33 more activists of the PTI in the Jinnah House attack case.

Judge Naveed Iqbal allowed the bail petition of each suspect subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs100,000.

The suspects include Farhan Bokhari, Muhammad Zahid, Mehran Khan, Waqas Aslam, Adeel Javed, Naveed Hussain, Zain Imran, Mazhar Iqbal, Azhar Hussain, Fakhar Kamran, Usama Abid, Zulqernain and Imran Khan Niazi.

The judge will hear the bail petitions of dozens of other suspects on March 8.

ABSCONDERS: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday declared six absconding leaders of the PTI including Hammad Azhar and Aslam Iqbal proclaimed offenders in a May 9 case of torching police vehicles.

Other absconding suspects are Adnan Ashraf, Samar Mashooq, Malik Haider Ali and Muhammad Qasim.

Sarwar Road police filed an application requesting the court to declare the absconding suspects POs in the case as they failed to join the proceedings against them.

Judge Naveed Iqbal allowed the application declaring the suspects POs in the case. He directed the police to initiate further proceedings against the suspects.

Azhar and Iqbal had already been declared POs in several other cases of the May 9 riots.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2024