ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has stopped police from arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Raoof Hasan in connection with four separate cases tied to the party’s November 26 protest.
ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain presided over the hearing on Thursday and approved Hasan’s request for pre-arrest bail. The court also postponed further proceedings until case records are presented.
Hasan, accompanied by his counsel Ayesha Khalid, appeared before the court. During the proceedings, Khalid argued that the prosecution had failed to submit the case files, leaving the defence unable to respond to the charges.
The court directed the relevant police officials to produce all necessary documents at the next hearing. It adjourned proceedings in three cases—registered at Aabpara, Karachi Company, and Margalla police stations—until May 5. A fourth case, lodged at the Ramna police station, will be heard on April 8.
The cases stem from PTI’s protest near D-Chowk on November 26, 2024. The demonstration turned violent after clashes broke out between protesters and security forces, prompting law enforcement to register multiple first information reports (FIRs) at various police stations in Islamabad.
Among those named in the FIRs are several key PTI figures, including Bushra Bibi, Zartaj Gul, Alia Hamza, Sher Afzal Marwat, Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Nadia Khattak, and Raoof Hasan himself.
In the wake of the FIRs, many of the accused, including Hasan, sought interim bail to avoid arrest while legal proceedings are underway.
