ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate in Islamabad has issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub and other party figures for violating Section 144, while an anti-terrorism court has granted bail to 18 PTI workers arrested during protests last year.
The hearing against PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Omar Ayub, Aamir Dogar, and Aamir Mughal took place in the District and Sessions Court Islamabad before Judicial Magistrate Shahzad Khan.
Due to their absence, the court issued arrest warrants for Umar Ayub, Aamir Dogar, and Aamir Mughal, while granting exemption from attendance to Shoaib Shaheen and Barrister Gohar Khan.
Barrister Gohar Khan had filed a request for exemption from attendance, which the court accepted. However, the defense’s requests for acquittal could not be heard, leading to an adjournment of the case until April 23.
The case pertains to alleged violations of Section 144, with two cases registered against Barrister Gohar Khan and others at the I-9 Police Station.
Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court has approved the bail of 18 PTI workers who were arrested during protests on November 24 and 26, 2024, in Attock and Rawalpindi. The court ordered their release after spending 92 days in detention, with workers gradually being freed from jails in Attock, Jhelum, and Adiala.
Defense lawyers Imran Abbasi and Faisal Malik argued that the arrested individuals were taken from their homes without clear charges, asserting that peaceful protest is a constitutional right. The court, citing insufficient evidence, granted bail on the condition that each detainee submit surety bonds worth Rs 0.1 million.
Among the released workers are Umar Farooq, Obaidullah Khan, Zainul Abidin, Wajahat Ali, Tayyab Nasir, Khawar Ali, Murtaza Khan, Muhammad Haroon, Lala Sher, Naeem Gul, and Fatah Khan. They had been detained by police from various stations, including Hassan Abdal Saddar, Hazro, and Rawalpindi.
Additionally, hearings for the bail petitions of 1,249 other arrested PTI workers are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 3.
