Daily Times

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday disposed of the pre-arrest bail petitions of eight Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in the Jinnah House attack case after they were declared innocent during the police investigation.

ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill conducted proceedings on the bail applications of 14 accused individuals, who also appeared in court following the expiry of their interim bail and marked their attendance.

During the proceedings, a prosecutor informed the court that the joint investigation team (JIT), formed to probe the May 9 incidents, had declared the workers – Muhammad Asif, Zubair Khan, Saifur Rehman, Farrukh Khalid, Zeeshan Afzal Mughal, Yasir Ali, Mushtaq Ahmad, and Farqan Haider – innocent due to a lack of evidence.

At this, the counsel for the accused requested permission to withdraw their clients’ bail applications.

Subsequently, the court disposed of the bail petitions of the accused as withdrawn.

The court also extended the interim bail of the other accused – Muhammad Azam Bhatti, Taqi Khan, Husnain Ali, Muhammad Azeem, and others – until December 18.

The Sarwar Road police had registered a case against PTI leaders and workers on charges of attacking Jinnah House, also known as the residence of the Corps Commander Lahore, during the May 9 riots.