PTI leaders granted interim bail in Section 144 violation case

Counels' argue case against leaders 'baseless', 'attempt to suppress' them

ISLAMABAD:

An additional sessions court granted interim bail to six Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday in the Section 144 violation case registered against them for holding a rally on August 20 in the federal capital.

Additional Sessions Court Judge Faizan Haider Gilani granted interim bail, against surety bonds of Rs20,000, to the PTI leaders after they approached the court earlier in the day.

The leaders granted the bail included Saifullah Niazi, Ali Awan, Raja Khurram, Faisal Javed, Sadaqat Abbasi and Shahzad Waseem.

The members of the former ruling party had filed bail applications earlier today after a case was registered against them and 19 other PTI leaders in the Aabpara police station.

The party leaders had participated in a rally held to protest PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s arrest and 'custodial torture'.

According to the PTI leaders’ lawyers, the case against them was “baseless”, adding that the rally was peaceful and the cases were an "attempt to suppress" the leaders.

They maintained that the provisions the leaders were charged under were bailable and pleaded that bail be granted.

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‘Violating Section 144’

The Islamabad police filed a case against PTI chief Imran Khan and other party leaders for violating Section 144 during their rally in Islamabad.

According to the first information report (FIR), filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Anwar, the federal capital police had made announcements through loudspeakers that Section 144 was imposed in the city however, the rally continued.

The complaint maintained that over a thousand PTI supporters had flocked to Islamabad's Zero Point Interchange “on the orders of Imran Khan” and carried the party paraphernalia including flags.

“They were chanting slogans for Gill's release,” the ASI said, adding that the PTI supporters had “scared and threatened” the residents by blocking the road.

“The rally's participants, while using loudspeakers, chanted anti-government slogans,” he said.

He further claimed that citizens’ and commuters’ daily activities were disrupted by the rally.