Six PTI MPAs granted pre-arrest bail in terrorism cases

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted on Thursday pre-arrest bail to six Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPAs in two cases pertaining to arson, violence and attacking policemen.

The court approved the bail of Khurrum Sher Zaman, Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Arsalan Taj, Jamal Siddiqui, Bilal Ghafar and Ali Aziz, subject to submission of a surety of Rs50,000 each.

PTI leader Ali Haider Zaidi, along with lawmakers and activists of the party, had been booked in two separate cases lodged at the Ferozabad and Soldier Bazar police stations for their alleged involvement in violence, arson, assault on policemen and terrorism at the Numaish intersection on May 25.

The PTI MPAs through their lawyers, Huzaifa and Hasnain Chohan, moved applications before the ATC-I, seeking grant of pre-arrest bail. They stated that the police lodged cases against the PTI leaders and activists with mala fide intentions to subject them to political victimisation. Rejecting the allegations of involvement in violence, the applicants requested the court to grant them interim bail.

After the initial hearing, the judge granted pre-arrest bail to the PTI leaders until June 27 when the matter will come up for hearing for confirmation or otherwise of the interim bail. The court also issued notices to the investigation officer and the prosecution department.