SC grants bail to Gwadar rights leader

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, the head of the Gwadar Rights Movement (GRM).

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood granted bail to Maulana Hudayatur Rehman against two surety bonds of Rs0.3 million. Kamran Murtaza, counsel for the appellant submitted before the court that his client was arrested from court premises and has been incarcerated since December 2022. Justice Sardar Tariq Masood asked the counsel why he didn’t challenge the arrest of his client from the court premises. Kamran Murtaza replied that at that time, such actions had not been declared illegal by the apex court, adding that the development happened following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan. The public prosecutor however, objected to the bail of the appellant and contended that until Majid Johar, the main accused in the instant case was not sent on judicial remand, bail should not be granted to Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman. During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked Kamran Murtaza whether the appellant Rehman was accused of aiding and abetting the murder of a police officer. The counsel for the appellant however, submitted that the facts will be determined during the trial, adding that his client’s movement was related to the provision of water for the people of Gwadar. Hidayat ur Rehman, head of Gawadar Rights Movement (GRM) was arrested from Gwadar on January 13 on charges of murder. Later in January, he was handed over to Crime Branch police on a three-day physical remand by the Anti-terrorism Court. The Gawadar Rights Movement has been protesting against illegal fishing, trawling, and unnecessary check posts that resulted in violent clashes between the members of GRM and police in 2022. Earlier, talking to the media outside Supreme Court, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq said that Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman was raising voicing for the rights of the people of Gawadar. He alleged that a fake case was registered against him. He expressed the hope that the Supreme Court will provide justice to Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman.