Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul get interim relief from PHC

Peshawar High Court also issued a stay order halting disqualification proceedings against Omar Ayub and Faraz

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The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shibli Faraz and Zartaj Gul, who were recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in connection with the May 9 riots, Express News reported.

The bench, after announcing the reserved verdict on their petition, allowed both leaders bail until August 11 and directed them to approach the relevant high court to file their appeals within this period.

The court also ordered that the two not be arrested during this time.

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Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court issued a stay order halting disqualification proceedings against PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Faraz.

The court announced its reserved verdict on the petitions filed by the PTI leaders challenging their disqualification by the Election Commission.

The court barred the Election Commission from taking any further action against the petitioners and directed that no proceedings be carried out on the disqualification notification issued on August 5.

The court also issued notices to the Election Commission and other respondents, adjourning the hearing until August 20.

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The decision follows last week’s ruling by a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad, which sentenced over 100 PTI leaders for their alleged involvement in the May 9 unrest.

Among those convicted were Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Senate Opposition Leader, Zartaj Gul, MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq. The ATC acquitted 77 out of the 185 individuals implicated in the cases.

Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified nine PTI-affiliated lawmakers, including Ayub and Faraz.

A notification issued by the commission declared one Senate and five National Assembly seats vacant, along with three Punjab Assembly seats. Others disqualified include Zartaj Gul, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Junaid Afzal Sahi, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Rai Haider Ali, and Ansar Iqbal.

It is pertinent to mention that last month, a Lahore ATC had sentenced ten PTI leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, to up to 10 years in prison, while an ATC in Sargodha handed a similar sentence to PTI Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar and other party workers.

May 9 Riots

The May 9 riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, after which PTI leaders and workers staged protests targeting both civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The military condemned the events as a "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.

As a result of the unrest, many PTI members were arrested and tried in military courts. In December, a military court convicted 25 individuals, including Imran Khan’s nephew, Hassan Khan Niazi, and later sentenced 60 more.

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In January, 19 convicts had their sentences pardoned following successful mercy appeals, although PTI expressed dissatisfaction over the limited number of pardons.

The military trials had initially been halted following a Supreme Court ruling but were resumed following the court's instructions to finalise pending cases and announce judgments for those involved in the violent incidents.