Islamabad Court dismisses bail petitions of PTI leaders including Shah Qureshi, in May 9 violence

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 20 : An Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday dismissed the bail petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Asad Qaisern in connection with two separate cases related to May 9 violence, Dawn reported on Tuesday.

Judge Tahir Abbasi Supra took up the bail pleas of Umar and Qureshi today, along with that of another suspect, Khan Bahadur.

"The case was registered under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft), 440 (mischief committed after preparation for causing death or hurt), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 109 (punishment of abetment, if the act abetted, is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of a common object), 186 (obstructing public servants in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 123-A (condemnation of the creation of the state and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC)," Dawn reported.

During the hearing, the court order said, the counsel for the petitioners argued that his clients were "innocent" and "falsely involved" in this case on the "basis of a concocted story". He contended that the case against them was a result of "mala fide" and an "ulterior motive on the part of the complainant and police".

On the other hand, public prosecutor Zahid Asif Chaudhry contested the counsel's arguments and sought the dismissal of bail pleas, the court order said.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court reserved the judgment.

Eventually, the court issued its ruling, observing that Bahadur had been accused of blocking the Grand Trunk Road along with 250 to 300 others after PTI chief Imran Khan's arrest. Citing the FIR, the order stated that these people faced allegations of raising anti-state slogans in violation of Section 188 of the PPC and assaulting a police party.

They said "they were acting in compliance with a video message of the PTI chief, as well as under the orders of ... Asad and Qureshi," Dawn reported.

Countrywide protests erupted on May 9 following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court in a graft case. While the protests were underway, several public and private properties, including military installations, were attacked.

The Pakistan government has held the PTI responsible for the vandalism and several of its leaders and workers have been arrested and booked in relevant cases since.