ATC extends interim bail of Haleem Adil

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has extended till August 24 interim pre-arrest bail of Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, and two others in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation, attempt to murder, and terrorism.

Haleem, who belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), along with his brother Aleem Adil Sheikh and Fayyaz Ali Laghari has been charged with attacking, obstructing and threatening officials during an anti-encroachment operation on the outskirts of Karachi in May this year.

The ATC-XV judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, extended bail of Sheikh on Wednesday after the investigation officer (IO) failed to turn up before the court.

The judge directed the IO, Inspector Raja Muhammad Afzal, to appear on August 24 along with the police file when he would hear arguments to decide confirmation or otherwise of the interim bail of the trio.

An FIR was lodged under the sections 109 (abetment), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 324 (attempt to murder), 506-B (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Gulshan-e-Maymar police station.