Daily Times

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday extended interim bail of  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders till June 28 in ransacking cases registered during the party’s recent long march. ATC Judge Abhar Gul Khan heard the bail applications filed by PTI leaders in the ransacking cases.

The PTI leaders including Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Murad Raas, Umair Niazi, Aijaz Chaudhry, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Jamshed Cheema, Mussarat Cheema, Yasir Gillani, Andleeb Abbas and others appeared before the court, during the proceedings and got their attendance marked.

Advocate Burhan Moazzam Malik represented the PTI leaders before the court and submitted an exemption application on behalf of former federal minister Shahfqat Mehmood. He pleaded with the court to exempt Shafqat Mehmood from personal appearance for one-day as he underwent surgery.

He further submitted that the police had not informed his clients about the charges yet. He submitted that he would be able to present final arguments after provision of details of the charges.

However, the police informed the court that some of the accused had not joined the investigations yet and it was hindering progress in the matter.

At this, the court directed the accused to join the investigations and extended their interim bail till June 28.

The PTI leaders got interim bail from the court after issuance of their non-bailable arrest warrants, last week.

The court issued non-bailable arrest warrants of the PTI leaders on an application filed by Shahdara investigation police.

The police had submitted that the PTI leaders were involved in ransacking cases and their arrest was required for completing investigations. It was also alleged that the PTI workers violated Section 144 and attacked law enforcing agencies on the day of the long march, May 25. The police had also added sections of Anti-Terrorism Act in cases registered against the PTI leaders.