LHC delivers verdict on PTI workers bail plea
Shares
In Lahore, the Lahore High Court (LHC) delivered its verdict on Wednesday concerning the post-arrest bail petitions filed by 97 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) workers. These petitions were related to the incidents of vandalism on May 9 and the attack on Jinnah House. Among the petitioners were notable figures such as fashion designer Khadija Shah, Aalia Hamza, and Sanam Javed.
The court, through a concise order, decided to remand the bail petitions to the trial court, with the assurance that detailed reasons would be provided in a subsequent judgment. The court made a noteworthy observation that, due to the inclusion of new charges in these cases, the accused individuals should approach the trial court for bail once investigations regarding these new offenses are completed. The division bench responsible for hearing these post-arrest bail petitions of PTI workers was presided over by Justice Aalia Neelum.
Special Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah, earlier in the proceedings, strongly opposed the bail petitions presented on behalf of the PTI workers. He pointed out that new charges had been added to the cases, and investigations against the accused were still in progress. He further emphasized that some of the accused were currently on remand and suggested that the petitioners should again seek relief from the trial court once the investigative process was concluded.
The PTI workers had approached the court seeking bail, arguing that they were already on judicial remand, and their continued custody was no longer necessary for the ongoing investigations. Notably, the police had introduced new charges in all the cases related to the events of May 9, which included offenses under sections 121 (related to waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan), 131 (pertaining to abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce military personnel from their duties), and 146 (related to rioting).
