RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi directed the release of five PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub and Raja Basharat, on Friday. The leaders were arrested outside Adiala Jail a day earlier.
Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, and Ahmed Chatha were presented before the ATC in connection with a case registered in Attock, according to Express News. Their lawyers presented interim bail orders granted by the Peshawar High Court during the hearing, leading to their release.
However, Azim and Majid Daniyal, detained in a separate case at Dhamial Police Station, were not presented before the court as their cases did not fall under the ATC’s jurisdiction. They were later released from jail following legal proceedings.
The police maintained heavy security outside the court during the hearings to ensure order.
Advocate Condemns Arrests
Speaking to the media, Advocate Mohammad Faisal Malik criticized the arrests, calling them a “cheap tactic” by the police. He stated that the PTI leaders had visited Adiala Jail the previous day for a trial related to the GHQ attack case. Despite being on bail, they were arrested, which he described as unlawful.
Malik further claimed that the authorities had no active cases against the leaders and that their arrests followed a full day of court proceedings.
Background
Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, and other PTI leaders were detained on Thursday outside Adiala Jail, following their participation in legal proceedings. The arrests were linked to cases involving violent protests after PTI’s call for a ‘final’ action.
The Rawalpindi police confirmed the arrests were related to ongoing investigations into the protests, which erupted after the May 9 GHQ attack and Imran Khan’s indictment.
