PTI MNA Alamgir gets pre-arrest bail in defamation case

Two days after the registration of an FIR for allegedly defaming state institutions, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Alamgir Khan obtained interim bail from a Karachi court on Monday to evade arrest by the police.

The East sessions judge approved the pre-arrest bail of the lawmaker against a surety of Rs100,000, restraining the police from apprehending him until May 28. The court issued a notice to the investigating officer to submit the case record. The hearing was put off until May 28 for the confirmation of his bail or otherwise.

Khan was booked on Saturday for allegedly defaming state institutions. Sections 131 (Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc.) and 500-A (defamation) were among the sections of the Pakistan Penal Code invoked against him.

The FIR was lodged on behalf of the state through Gulshan-e-Iqbal SHO Mohammad Ashraf Jogi. According to the FIR, the complainant was on routine patrol on Friday when he noticed graffiti in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 6 area, portraying different animals with the captions “I am neutral” and “Law of the jungle is better”.

There was also a map that contained a portrait of the “goddess of law” with a balance in one hand and the map of Pakistan in the other. One side of the balance contained dollars, while persons in uniform were seen on the map. A video had also gone viral on social media showing Khan with four or five men working on the graffiti.