PIC incident: ATC grants bail to 10 lawyers including PM Imran’s nephew

250 lawyers were registered in two cases on a range of charges, including terrorism and murder

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to 10 lawyers, including Prime Minister Imran Khan's nephew Hassan Niazi, accused in an attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) that took place last year in December.

During the proceedings, ATC judge inquired about the completion of an identification parade from the Investigation Officer (IO).

“Identification parade of accused Abid Hussain,  Syed Zain,  Muzamal Hussain,  Ali Javed, Abdur Rehman Butt, Usama, Afzal Maalik,  Hassan Niazi, Rana Adeel and Naeem Qamar had been completed,” IO responded.



The IO said that the identification parade of only three accused lawyers was left as their photogrammetric test is yet to be conducted.

The court ordered the IO to complete all legal requirements by coming Monday.

Last year, Punjab Police had registered two cases on a range of charges, including terrorism and murder, against more than 250 lawyers who ran riot rampaging through the PIC, beating up medics, nurses – and even attendants, and damaging furniture and equipment at the facility.

The case was registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Sections 322, 452, 353,186, 354, 148, 337-H (2), and 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

At least three cardiac patients died as doctors and paramedical staff ran for safety while leaving them unattended at the ICU as scores of people donning black suits and wearing neckties stormed the province’s largest cardiac facility.



What apparently triggered the ignoble attack – which triggered nationwide condemnation – was a video clip on social media in which a purported doctor taunted lawyers after thrashing one of their colleagues at the facility.

After the police managed to disperse the protesters at the hospital after an hours-long melee, the lawyers reassembled at GPO Chowk and blocked The Mall Road, demanding the arrest of the doctor who had taunted their community in the video clip.