LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Friday granted post-arrest bail to PTI-Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid and former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema in a case of creating a law and order situation at Sherpao Bridge during the May 9 riots.

Judge Arshad Javed allowed the bail petitions subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

The judge granted bail to the leaders giving them the benefit of the doubt for a police mistake of mentioning the wrong time of the alleged occurrence in the FIR.

However, both leaders will remain behind bars due to other cases registered against them.

Sarwar Road police had registered an FIR against the PTI leaders and workers on charges of ransacking and burning public property at Sherpao Bridge in the Cantonment area during the violent protests of May 9, 2023. Dr Yasmin was also granted bail in another case of violence and torching police vehicles in Gulberg.

Other cases against the PTI leaders include attack on the corps commander’s house, Askari Tower, party offices of the PML-N in Model Town, Shadman police station and burning containers near Kalma Chowk.

Separately, ATC Judge Arshad Javed extended pre-arrest bail of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in three cases of May 9 riots till May 24.

Yasmin letter: Incarcerated Punjab PTI President Dr Yasmin Rashid has lamented that the ruling families had nothing to give to the people of Pakistan but Panama Leaks and Dubai Leaks.

In a letter from jail on Friday, Dr Rashid stated that families ruling Pakistan enjoy status and offices in Pakistan but invested their money abroad. “It is not the case whether your properties are declared or not, the question is why your properties are abroad, if you have any concern for Pakistan and the Pakistanis,” she asked.

“With own money stashed abroad, how they would be able to ask foreigners to invest in Pakistan.”The PTI leader wondered how civil servants amassed huge money and bought properties in Dubai. —

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2024