PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday approved transit bail for several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, enabling them to appear before relevant courts in various cases.
Justice Sahibzada Asadullah granted Omar Ayub transit bail until January 8 after his counsel argued that multiple cases filed in Islamabad and Punjab made court appearances difficult due to fear of arrest. The court instructed Ayub to appear before the relevant courts within the given timeframe.
In addition, Justice Asadullah approved a 20-day transit bail for PTI leader Umair Niazi, directing him to present himself before the concerned courts.
Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim presided over hearings for other PTI leaders, including Shandana Gulzar, Arbab Amir Ayub, Arbab Sher Ali, and Asif Khan. Advocate Moazzam Butt, representing the petitioners, explained that the cases stemmed from the D-Chowk protest and included charges filed while some leaders, like Arbab Sher Ali, were out of the country.
Omar Ayub, in a supplementary plea, alleged that he had been arrested in Rawalpindi during a previous court appearance despite holding protective bail. The court extended his transit bail in other cases until January 8 and granted bail in a Faisalabad case until January 9.
Following deliberations, the PHC granted Shandana Gulzar, Arbab Sher Ali, Arbab Amir Ayub, and Asif Khan a three-week transit bail, affirming their status as elected members of the National Assembly and facilitating their appearance in court.
