Firdous Shamim gets bail in May 9 riots case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Firdous Shamim Naqvi in a case pertaining to May 9 riots.

Naqvi, along with other PTI leaders and scores of activists, was booked for his alleged involvement in violence, arson and terror attacks during their protest on Sharea Faisal following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9.

The ATC-XV judge approved the bail of Naqvi in the case lodged by the Tipu Sultan police subject to the submission of a Rs100,000 surety, according to defence counsel Zahoor Mahsud.

He said the PTI leader was being kept at his residence that had been declared a sub-jail due to his ill health, adding that Naqvi had already been granted bail in other similar cases.

The judge, however, deferred his decision on bail applications of over a dozen party activists until the next date.

Meanwhile, the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts remanded Raja Azhar, a former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA, in judicial custody in two May 9 rioting cases and directed the investigation officers to submit a supplementary charge sheet against him by September 9.

The police produced the detained PTI leader before judge on completion of his physical remand.

Separate cases have been lodged under the sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempted murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees).