LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of PTI Secretary General Asad Umar and other leaders in cases of violence and attack on police outside Zaman Park and directed two of them to appear before a joint investigation team (JIT) made to probe the events.

Umar, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Farrukh Habib, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, Aslam Iqbal, Zubair Niazi and Hassaan Niazi appeared before the court on expiry of their pre-arrest bail.

JIT head Aftab Phularwan told the court that Habib and Ms Cheema did not appear before the investigation team for once even.

A counsel for the PTI leaders argued that the party had already challenged formation of the JIT before the Lahore High Court.

However, Presiding Judge Abher Gul Khan observed that suspects were required to record their statements even if the JIT was scrapped by the high court. She said a suspect could not seek pre-arrest bail without joining the investigation of the case.

She ordered both PTI leaders to appear before the JIT without further delay.

The judge extended the bail of all the leaders till May 6 and directed the police to submit its report on the investigation.

FULL BENCH: A Lahore High Court full bench on Thursday summoned details of the complete proceedings of the JIT formed to probe the cases lodged against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and others for violence outside Zaman Park.

The bench headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh was hearing the petitions by PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Mussarat Jamshed Cheema challenging the legitimacy of the JIT.

Petitioners’ counsel Sikandar Zulqarnain argued that the JIT members were in fact accused in the application of the PTI for registration of FIRs on charges of torturing its workers.

He said Prosecutor General of Punjab Khaliquz Zaman had been restrained from appearing before the full bench, which showed mala fide of the caretaker government.

An additional advocate general told the bench that the petitioners had not joined the investigation and challenged the JIT before the court.

Advocate Zulqarnain said the petitioners did not want to halt the investigation but questioned the mala fide and illegality by the government in formation of the JIT.

The bench adjourned further hearing till May 2 and summoned the complete record of the JIT.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2023