ISLAMABAD: A court in Islamabad on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to PTI Secretary Information Raoof Hassan and eight others in a case registered against them under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Duty Magistrate Mohammad Abbas Shah accepted the bail petitions of the PTI activists against Rs50,000 surety bonds each.

During the course of the hearing, Mohammad Ali Bukhari, counsel for the petitioners, argued that the case was based on a statement of Ahmed Waqas Janjua, the party’s international media coordinator. He said the statement of an under-custody suspect had no legal value.

According to him, three women nominated in the case had already been granted bail. The counsel argued that the arrested persons were domestic staff and had nothing to do with social media posts.

Mr Bukhari said the PTI information secretary did not malign institutions and was taken into custody on frivolous charges. He referred to a judgement of Justice Babar Sattar that held such incarceration unconstitutional. He requested the court to grant the petitioners post-arrest bail.

Computers, documents stolen

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan told media persons that computers, important documents and gadgets were stolen from the PTI secretariat.

He announced he would apply for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the inspector general of police (IGP), SSP operations, the SHO concerned and the CDA chairman.

“They all are robbers. As long as they will be serving, our application will pursue them. The situation of the secretariat shows that as those officers have conquered a fort,” Mr Omar said.

On July 22, the police and the Federal Investigation Agency raided the PTI’s central office over suspicions of “anti-state digital campaigns” and arrested the party’s information secretary.

Footage showed police officers escorting Mr Hassan from the party office in G-8 and loading TV and computer screens into a double-cabin vehicle. A few of them carried files and documents from the office. Moreover, the secretariat was sealed by CDA for lacking a fire safety system.

On July 30, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the CDA to de-seal the secretariat with immediate effect after the party gave an undertaking to comply with the building control regulations within a week.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024