Protective, transit bail granted to PTI leaders, lawmakers

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday granted protective bail to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and directed them to appear before the relevant courts.

The PHC also granted transit bail to Member National Assembly Shahram Tarakai and his brother and provincial Minister Faisal Tarakai.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Wiqar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Khan Sabi heard the protective bail applications of PTI leaders including Raoof Hassan, Khadija Shah, Naeem Haider Panjutha advocate, Irfan Saleem, Abrar Hussain and Member of the National Assembly Mehboob Shah.

The petitioners’ lawyer Alam Khan Adenzai informed the court that his clients were associated with the PTI and faced cases registered against them in Islamabad and Rawalpindi following the November 24 protests. He argued that the petitioners intended to appear before the relevant courts but feared arrest before they could do so. He prayed the court to grant protective bail to enable them to appear in courts concerned.

After arguments, the court granted protective bail to the PTI leaders and lawmakers and directed the petitioners to appear before the relevant courts by January 16 and barring the authorities from arresting them until then.

Meanwhile, the court also granted transit bail to MNA Shahram Tarakai and provincial Minister Faisal Tarakai.

Alam Adenzai while representing the petitioners told the court that six cases had been registered against Shahram Tarakai and two cases against Faisal Tarakai.

He prayed for an extended period for the transit bail due to the numerous cases against them.

The court granted one month of transit bail to the petitioners and ordered them to appear before the relevant courts during this period.