May 9 violence: ATC extends pre-arrest bails of IK’s sisters, Asad Umar

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday extended pre-arrest bail of former PTI secretary general Asad Umar, former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan in May 9 riots cases.

Both sisters of the PTI chairman appeared before the court on expiry of their previous bail.

The investigating officer told the court that the suspects had not joined the investigation.

Asked by the court, the sisters of Imran Khan said they had appeared before a joint investigation team. They claimed that the police were not ready to record their statements.

The court directed the women suspects to appear before the investigating officer concerned to join the investigation.

The court extended their bail till September 19 with a direction to join the investigation of the cases.

The IO told the court that Asad Umar had been discharged in five out of seven cases against him.

Three of the discharged cases were registered by Sarwar Road police while one each by Gulberg and Racecourse police stations.

The court extended the pre-arrest bail of Umar in the remaining two cases till Sept 19.

The court also directed him to join the investigation of the two cases.

A counsel appeared on behalf of PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and stated that the petitioner had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). He said the circumstances were not in the control of the petitioner, therefore, could not appear before the court.

The counsel asked the court to exempt Qureshi from personal appearance due to his arrest in another case.

However, the court dismissed the bail petitions of Qureshi in six cases for non prosecution.

The court also dismissed bail petition of PTI’s former leader Fawad Chaudhry for non prosecution in two cases of the May 9 violence.

Separately, the court directed the police not to produce PTI-Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid, former provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Senator Ijaz Chaudhry and all other suspects on expiry of their judicial remand for being on physical remand in other cases.

The police registered cases of the attacks on Corpus Commander House, Askari Tower in Gulberg, torching of PML-N offices in Model Town and a container near Kalma Chowk.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023