Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday claimed that Sanam Javed, one of the party’s staunch activist, and other female supporters were rearrested after the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) ordered their post-arrest bail in Lahore Jinnah House Attack case two days earlier. However, so far, there has been no confirmation by the Punjab government over the claim made by the PTI. The party based its claim on a video posted by journalist Mughees Ali at the social media platform X, where he, without quoting the source, asserted that Sanam and others were again taken into custody.

In the video, a prison van could be seen at Kotlakhpat Jail which passes before the media persons with hands visible from its top, possibly of the said individuals. Someone, in the meantime, asks “again arrested” to which he receives a reply in affirmation in an apparent feminine voice.

The PTI has slammed the government for allegedly flouting the court’s order and held that the alleged re-arrest of its female activists was the display of fascism.

“Absolutely shameful how lawless Pakistan has become and how Courts orders are being violated continuously. Female Political prisoners in Pakistan continue to have their fundamental rights violated. The Pakistani women have shown utmost courage, resilience, grit & resolve in the face of unprecedented fascism, tyranny & oppression. It’s time to end this brutality,” the party said on its official X handle. PTI leader and former state minister Farrukh Habib while giving his take on the development termed the act based on malafide intention. He wondered that when Sanam was languishing in jail for four months, and when she was not wanted in any other case, then why she was rearrested at the time when her release order was to be executed.

On Saturday, the Anti-Terrorism Court granted post-arrest bail to nine PTI workers and dismissed pleas of 39 allegedly involved in creating a law and order situation, chaos, and attacking the Jinnah House following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in May.

Judge Arshad Javed granted bails to Sanam Javed, Shah Bano, Ashmia Shujah, Rubina Jameel, Mubeen Qadri, Syed Faisal Akhtar, Ali Hassan, Afshan Tariq, and Muhammad Qasim.

The prosecution had placed its arguments that the accused persons were fully involved in creating law and order situation and that was substantial evidence of their involvement in the attack on Jinnah House. It requested the court to dismiss their bail pleas. However, the counsels for the accused contended that the accused persons had been implicated in a forged case merely to humiliate them despite the fact that they had nothing to do with this case. They requested the court to grant them bail. The ATC judge after hearing detailed arguments, granted bails to nine and dismissed the post-arrest pleas of 39 accused persons, including Khadija Shah.