Protective bail of PTI leaders extended to 21st

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday extended the protective bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Sanam Javed, Alia Hamza, Raja Basharat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi until November 21.

Hearing the case, a two-member bench comprising Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, however, warned that if Sanam Javed and Suraya Bibi failed to appear at the next hearing, the relief granted to them would be withdrawn.

The court also issued notices to the federal and provincial governments to provide details of the cases filed against the petitioners. Earlier, the petitioners’ lawyer informed the court that several cases had been registered against his clients in various cities across the country. He prayed the court to issue orders for providing details of these cases to enable his clients to appear in the respective courts.

Lawyer for Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Muhammad Khalid informed the court that there were no cases against the petitioners with his entity. Deputy Attorney General Hazrat Syed informed the court that they had sought details of cases from across the country and would need some time to gather this information.

Suraya Bibi and Sanam Javed were absent from the court that prompted Justice Shakeel Ahmad to say that defendants granted interim bail were legally required to appear in every hearing. “If they do not appear, the court could withdraw the relief provided,” he remarked.

After arguments, the court granted the petitioners protective bail and issued notices to federal and provincial governments to submit their responses regarding the cases filed against them. Meanwhile, the Punjab chapter of PTI leader Alia Hamza said that Bushra Bibi endured nine months in jail despite being innocent.

Talking to reporters outside the PHC, she said that the PTI founder and former prime minister was also facing injustice in prison. She alleged that the “Toshakhana II” case was created solely to arrest Bushra Bibi. She claimed that presently all, including the state, politics and establishment were anti-PTI.

Alia Hmaza said that the party’s decisions were now coming from Adiala Jail (Imran Khan), which were being accepted by party leaders in letter and spirit. She added that the people would soon take to the streets to demand the release of the PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan.