LHC grants PTI leader protective bails in two cases

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted protective bails to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Farrukh Habib in two separate cases, restraining the police from executing his arrest.

The cases were filed against Habib and several other leaders and supporters over allegedly creating a law and order situation, carrying weapons and forcefully entering Islamabad’s judicial complex at the arrival of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The former ruling party’s leader appeared before a LHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, where his counsel Advocate Rana Mudassar Umer argued that his client “has been implicated in forged and purely politically motivated cases, merely to humiliate and embarrass him”.

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The counsel added that Habib “has nothing to do with the offences mentioned in the first information reports (FIR)".

Umer also contended that his client “wanted to appear before the concerned court of law and join the investigation to prove his innocence but he feared being arrested by the police officials which is tantamount to depriving the basic right of his client”.

FIRs

Two separate cases were registered against PTI leaders, activists including former Prime Minister Imran Khan and several others for alleged vandalism outside Islamabad's judicial complex.

One of the cases, registered with Ramna police station on a complaint of Station House Officer (SHO) Rasheed Ahmed stated that “a mob under the leadership of PTI chairman chanted slogans and came to the judicial complex in G-11/1”.

The FIR added that the “charged mob carried weapons, held batons and stones tried to enter the premises forcefully. Assistant commissioner Potohar and other officials asked them to stop at the gate, but they ignored and scuffled with them”.

The mob threatened officials, and damaged official property. They also broke the main gate and other hurdles and entered the complex’s premises, the FIR mentioned.

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The former prime minister, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Murad Saeed, Ali Nawaz, Jamshaid Mughal, Hassan Niazi, Ahmad Khan Niazi, Abdul Qudoos Khan Swati, Amir Kiani, Farrukh Habib, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Raja Basharat, Tahir Sadiq, Wasiq Qayyum, Shibli Faraz, Mian Aslam, retired Col Asim, Chaudhry Mudasir Riaz, Omer Sultan, Ghulam Sarwar and Hammad Azhar were nominated along with 250 activists.

Another case was registered by Ramna police against 20 PTI leaders along with 150 activists.

Earlier this week, the PTI chief, accompanied by his party supporters, had reached Islamabad’s judicial complex to appear before the courts to face multiple cases, including the prohibited funding and terrorism charges against him.