Bail denied to 97 PTI workers

Petitions were referred to trial court after new offences included

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) announced its verdict on the post-arrest bail petitions filed by 97 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) workers on Wednesday in the cases of the May 9 vandalism and the attack on Jinnah House. The petitioners include fashion designer Khadija Shah, Aalia Hamza and Sanam Javed. The court, through a short order, remanded the bail petitions to the trial court, adding that the reasons would be recorded in detailed judgement

The court observed that since new offences were added in the cases, the accused should therefore approach the trial court for bail after investigations in connection with the new offences. The division bench, headed by Justice Aalia Neelum, heard the post-arrest bail petitions of the PTI workers.

Earlier, Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah opposed the bail petitions of the PTI workers and submitted that new offences were added in the cases and investigations into the accused were ongoing.

He added that some of the accused were on remand and submitted that the petitioners should once again approach the trial court after the completion of the investigations.

The PTI workers had approached the court for bail, submitting that they were on judicial remand and their custody was no longer required for investigations. 

The police added new offences in all the May 9 cases under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war or abetting in waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting).

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2023.