KARACHI: A judicial magistrate has granted bail to a man in a case pertaining to allegedly issuing threats to bomb the United States consulate general in the metropolis.

Suspect Sharjeel Akbar was arrested and booked in a case registered under Sections 506-B (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 25-D (penalty for causing annoyance) of the Telegraph Act.

The FIR was lodged at the Docks police station on the complaint of an inspector of the Foreign Security Cell, who said he was deputed at the US consulate and on April 15, the consulate’s staff informed him that they had received a threatening phone call from a man identifying himself as Sharjeel Akbar, who claimed to have planted a bomb near the consulate.

The suspect was arrested on West Wharf Road during a search operation and was sent to prison on judicial remand. The suspect had moved an application before Judicial Magistrate (West) Inamullah Phulpoto, seeking post-arrest bail in the case.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate granted bail to the suspect against a surety bond of Rs30,000 with a PR bond, and noted that no sufficient material had been collected or placed before the court to “justify continued incarceration” of the suspect.

The court noted that, on a tentative assessment, it appeared that “no concrete evidence has yet been brought on record against the accused. The case thus calls for further inquiry within the meaning of Section 497(2) Cr.P.C., and at this stage, the benefit goes to the accused.”

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026