An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has extended pre-arrest bail of both the sisters of Imran Khan including Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan in multiple cases related to May 9 roits.
Asad Umar, the former secretary general of PTI, also got the extension in the pre-arrest bail.
Asad Umar, who was scheduled to appear before two different Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), experienced a mixed outcome. While one ATC granted him bail in the Jinnah House case, another denied his pre-arrest bail plea in the Askari Tower attack case, citing his failure to appear before the court.
Notably, Umar did not attend any of the court sessions on the given day.
The cases involve various incidents, including attacks on Jinnah House, the residence of Lahore’s corps commander, Askari Tower in Gulberg, torching of PML-N offices in Model Town, and the vandalism of a container near Kalma Chowk during the May 9 violence.
The arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9 in the Al Qadir Trust case had triggered widespread violence, leading to attacks on important military installations. Subsequently, the state initiated a severe crackdown against the PTI.
The Sarwar Road police registered the case related to the attack on Jinnah House, which prompted investigations into the property’s vandalism during the riots.
In August, both Aleema and Uzma Khan had appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) to cooperate with the probe into the attacks on military installations.
In the latest developments, ATC Judge Arshad Javed presided over the pleas filed by Imran Khan’s sisters and others concerning the Jinnah House attack case.
The judge instructed all suspects to appear before the JIT on Monday at 4 pm. The investigation officer informed the court that the inquiry in the case had not been concluded. After considering the arguments, the court granted pre-arrest bail to the suspects until January 9.
In a separate hearing related to the May 9 riots case against Asad Umar, Judge Abher Gul turned down Umar’s plea seeking exemption from the hearing on the day and cancelled his pre-arrest bail in the Askari Tower attack case.
Last month, Asad Umar, who had resigned as the PTI’s secretary general in May, took a decisive step, resigning from the party’s basic membership and announcing his complete withdrawal from politics.
