Seeking apology over May 9 riots, Zartaj Gul breaks into tears

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul on Wednesday broke into tears while apologising for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, fearing arrest by the police from the court premises.

Speaking to journalists at the Peshawar High Court (PHC), as she appeared before the court for the hearing of her plea for a transit bail that she was later granted by the court, the former climate change minister apologised over the riots that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023 during which protesters targeted and vandalized security installations.

The politician, who hails from Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan, refused to leave the court premises till the approval of her bail plea, expressing fears that the police might arrest her if she went outside.

The police reportedly deployed additional contingents, including six more female police officials outside the court, and Ababeel Squad personnel patrolled outside.

Gul, talking to journalists, said that she felt like fighting a war instead of contesting general elections after large contingents of police force were deployed outside the court to arrest her.

The politician asked her voters not to be worried over the tense environment as she was standing firmly and fearlessly with her ideology. She pinned hopes on the judiciary for providing her justice.

Gul said that her nomination papers were rejected by the election commission. The staffers of the election commission were taken hostage in DG Khan.

“Imad Tahir was arrested from the same court this morning and now the forces are present outside to arrest me,” Gul said, stressing that she should be granted bail as she has personally appeared and “surrendered” before the court. “I have not committed any crime. I am just standing with my ideology and I only want to contest polls and it is my right to represent DG Khan,” she added, appealing to lawyers, PHC chief justice and bar to give her justice and order the police to refrain from arresting her. She also requested the legal fraternity to take a stand for the rule of law.

Earlier, some female cops reached the PHC’s bar room in an apparent bid to arrest the PTI leader. However, members of Insaf Lawyers Forum resisted their attempt. The bar room was then locked and media persons and cops asked to leave.

Gul, among 51 other PTI leaders including Murad Saeed, Ali Amin Gandapur, Hammad Azhar and Omar Ayub, faces charges in a case related to the attack on Gujranwala Cantt on May 9. An anti-terrorism court had issued directives to seize the properties of said politicians.

Later at night, the PHC granted protective bail to Zartaj Gul and stopped the police from arresting her. A single bench of Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan heard the bail application by Zartaj Gul.

Her counsel Sikandar Hayat Shah and other lawyers told the court their client was a former federal minister and cases had been registered against her after the May 9, 2023 violence.

They submitted to the court that Zartaj Gul had approached the PHC for obtaining protective bail but the police had ringed the court to arrest her.

The court summoned the advocate general, capital city police officer and SSP operations.

The chief justice pointed out to the officials the large police contingent to arrest one woman who had been sitting in the PHC for several hours. “It is lamentable and against the Pakhtun traditions,” he observed and said we don’t deserve to be in this seat if we cannot dispense justice to anyone. He said applicants come here (PHC) for securing protective bails, which was their right. The sources said Zartaj Gul entered the PHC building donning lawyer’s uniform to get bail. The cops present there tried to arrest her. But the PTI lawyers stood by her in the bar room till she secured bail.