12 granted bail in May 9 case

The accused allegedly attacked residence of former interior minister

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) confirmed the interim bail of 12 accused of attacking the home of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad during the May 9 riots.

On Wednesday, the court confirmed the interim bail of Younas, Muhammad Ishaq, Luqman, Haider, Waqas Amin, Malik Sharafat, Faisal, Malik Umar Nawaz, Kashif and Nadeem, upon completion of arguments by both parties. The two-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard the pre-arrest bail petitions filed by the accused.

During the proceedings, a prosecutor argued that the accused not only attacked Sanaullah's house, but also attacked police vehicles and personnel on May 9th 2023. He requested the court dismiss the interim bail granted to the accused, as strong evidence was available against them.

However, the defence counsel submitted that the case was registered on May 9th, but the accused were nominated on May 12th. He further submitted that police did not have any evidence against his clients and pleaded with the court to confirm their interim bail. He also mentioned that the trial court had dismissed pre-arrest bail of his clients on February 20th.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th, 2024.