Judge also grants pre-arrest bail to Bushra Bibi in Ramna protest and vandalism case on Rs50,000 bail
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard six pre-arrest bail pleas of the PTI founder and one of Bushra Bibi. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A local court in Islamabad on Tuesday approved pre-arrest bail requests for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi in several cases.
Both were granted bail on a bond of Rs 50,000 each. Bushra Bibi was also granted pre-arrest bail in a separate protest-related case.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard six pre-arrest bail pleas of the PTI founder and one of Bushra Bibi. The PTI founder is facing cases related to May 9 incidents, Azadi march, attempted murder, vandalism, arson and alleged fake Toshakhana receipts, while Bushra Bibi is facing a Toshakhana-related case registered at Kohsar police station.
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During the trial, the prosecution argued that there was substantial evidence against the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi, arguing that they were not eligible for bail and seeking rejection of their applications.
Barrister Salman Safdar, who represented the defendants, argued that these were among the first pre-arrest bail applications in his and the court’s experience to have suffered such lengthy delays.
He noted that 63 reprieves were granted to the state, the court ordered the jail authorities to produce the PTI founder on 30 occasions but he was not produced and five show-cause notices were issued to the superintendent.
Emphasizing that the bail applications were based on merit, not medical grounds, Safdar highlighted that apart from the May 9 case, no previous bail application had ever been rejected. He also noted that some cases appeared to have been filed to intimidate, without any formal charges.
After hearing the arguments, the court granted pre-arrest bail to both the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi.
Separately, Additional District and Sessions Judge Amir Zia also granted anticipatory bail to Bushra Bibi in a protest and vandalism case registered at Ramna police station, allowing bail on a bond of Rs 50,000.
