15 PTI workers granted bail in May 9 riots case

An anti-terrorism court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to 15 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in a case pertaining to the May 9 riots.

Senior PTI leaders, including former Sindh Assembly opposition leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, ex-MPAs Khurram Sher Zaman, Raja Azhar and others, along with 800-900 workers have been booked in several cases of violence and arson during protests against the arrest of their party chief and former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9.

The 15 incarcerated workers moved applications before the ATC-XV judge seeking post-arrest bail in a case lodged at the Ferozabad police station. After hearing arguments from defence and prosecution sides, the judge granted them bail against a surety of Rs100,000 each and directed the jail authorities to release them forthwith if they were not required in any other case.

Defence lawyer Shujaat Ali Khan argued that the applicants’ names were not mentioned in the FIR, and no specific roles in the crime were assigned to them. He also emphasised that the case appeared to be politically motivated and therefore requested the judge to grant them bail.

On the other hand, the state prosecutor contended that the accused were involved in acts of arson and damaging public property during their violent protest.