Violence at Federal Judicial Complex: Asad, Waseem and others granted interim bail

ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Monday, granted interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI’s) Secretary General Asad Umar, Senator Shehzad Waseem, and other leaders in two cases registered against them under terrorism charges for allegedly attacking police and creating unrest at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC), during the hearing of Toshakhana case against PTI chief Imran Khan on March 18.

ATC judge Raja Jawad, while hearing the case, granted interim bail to Hammad Azhar, Ali Nawaz Awan, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hassaan Khan Niazi, Omar Ayub Khan, Khurram Nawaz, Aamir Kiyani, Farrukh Habib, Zulfi Bukhari, and Imran Khan’s Chief Security Officer Muhammad Asim till April 3 against the surety bonds of Rs300,000 each.

The city police, on Sunday, last registered two different first information reports (FIRs) at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Golra Police Station, claiming that the PTI leaders and workers attacked the police and created unrest outside the FJC on March 18.

The FIRs against the PTI chief Imran Khan and other leaders included Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and sections 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 380 (theft in dwelling house, etc), 395 (punishment for dacoity), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred rupees), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

During the hearing, the judge said that two-week of interim bail was granted to PTI leaders so that they could fast in Ramazan with ease as well as be saved from tear gas shelling. In this FIR police have also included a section related to dacoity, the judge said.

Babar Awan, the PTI counsel told the court that he was filing new bail pleas before the court. At this, the judge said that once the court heard the old pleas then the new bail pleas could be filed.

The police arrested Hassaan Khan Niazi after he obtained bail at the gate of the FJC. The police also later registered an FIR against Niazi.

Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khurshid arrived at the FJC for shifting Shibli Faraz to Islamabad High Court (IHC) as Faraz came there for appearing before the court in a wheelchair.

According to a police spokesman, the city police have so far arrested 198 PTI workers involved in attacking police and vandalism during the hearing of Toshakhana case, and continued raids to arrest others.

He said that 58 officers were injured in the violent clashes, during which several police vehicles were burned and vandalised.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023