Taseer vigil attacker granted bail

LAHORE:

A division bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to a man suspected of being involved in attacking a vigil organised to mark the fourth death anniversary of former governor Salmaan Taseer.

The bench directed Mumtaz Sindhi to submit two surety bonds to the tune of Rs200,000 each to avail the bail. The counsel for the petitioner told Justices Muhammad Anwaarul Haq and Erum Sajad Gull that Gulberg police had registered a case against Sindhi and some other men for attacking the vigil. He said his co-accused had been granted bail by the court. “Therefore, the petitioner should also be granted bail,” the counsel said.

Opposing the request, an additional prosecutor told the bench that the suspect had been convicted by a court. The prosecutor said a challan against the suspect had been presented at the trial court. He said that video footage had proved that he was guilty of attacking the vigil. The bench granted bail to Sindhi following the arguments. On January 4, a group of men had assaulted citizens participating in a candlelight vigil organised at Liberty Chowk to mark the anniversary of Taseer’s assassination. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.