Human rights lawyer, Imaan Mazari, Satrday was granted bail in a new terror case by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad. The development comes three days after she was handed over to the Islamabad Police on physical remand in the case registered against her in the federal capital’s Barakahu police station.
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain issued the verdict, granting bail to the detained lawyer against a surety bond of Rs10,000.
Imaan was arrested in a terror case from outside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi soon after an ATC court had approved her and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir’s bails in a sedition case pertaining to the controversial speech against state institutions.
The contents of the first information report (FIR) filed against Imaan were related to “interference in state affairs”, was filed on the complaint of Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Miam Mohammad Imran following the PTM rally, under Sections 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 395 (punishment for dacoity), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Tasked with maintaining law and order situation during a rally of the PTM, the SHO of the Barakahu police station said that he was present with other police officials at Tarnol Phatak Chowk on Friday at 5pm, when the rally — in violation of its NOC — started moving from the place allocated to it.
He maintained that the participants of the rally equipped with batons clashed with the police when law enforcers attempted to stop the rally. The crowd blocked both lanes of GT Road after being stopped by the police, read the FIR. When the leaders of the PTM and supporters were asked to open the road, they attacked the police and issued threats of dire consequences damaged vehicles, and vandalized nearby shops, said the SHO.
The second FIR was registered under PPC Sections 124A (sedition), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) among others.