LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted a 10-day protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aliya Hamza in a cyber-terrorism case, with Justice Ali Baqar Najafi presiding over the petition detailing the cases registered against her.
Accompanied in court by her father-in-law Jameel Malik and lawyer Ishtiaq A. Khan, Aliya Hamza’s legal proceedings have drawn significant attention.
During the hearing, the federal government’s lawyer informed that the cyber-terrorism case was lodged against Aliya Hamza with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The court queried whether she had obtained interim bail prior to this hearing, to which her lawyer confirmed there had been no prior knowledge of the cyber-terrorism charges against her.
Additionally, a petition filed by Aliya Hamza’s husband cited that details of the cases registered against her in Punjab had not been disclosed, prompting a request for the court to order their release.
This report appearance follows her recent legal challenges. On August 23, Aliya Hamza moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking protective bail for cases filed in Faisalabad and Sargodha, urging the court to expedite the hearing.
This came after her release from Gujranwala prison on July 31, where she was detained in relation to the May 9 violence case.
Despite posting Rs 50,000 in surety bonds and receiving a release order from a sessions court, she was re-arrested on June 6 in another related case shortly after her release by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) for similar charges.
Background incidents highlight her repeated arrests; after being granted bail in three cases by Mianwali police and exiting Sargodha jail, Gujranwala police apprehended her due to her alleged involvement in additional cases related to the same May 9 incidents, though she was not initially named in the FIRs.
Meanwhile, PTI activist Sanam Javed also faced the courts in a connected May 9 case, with the ATC in Gujranwala granting a four-day physical remand upon police request for 30 days.
Aliya Hamza’s legal battles underscore the ongoing complex political and legal challenges faced by PTI leaders, as they navigate through multiple arrests and court proceedings amidst turbulent political climates.
