LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday extended interim pre-arrest bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former secretary general Asad Umar in a case related to Askari Tower, Liberty attack during the May 9 protests.
ATC Judge Ejaz Ahmed Buttar heard the bail petition filed by the former planning minister who also appeared before the court following the expiry of his surety bonds.
Ordering the PTI leader to join the investigation, the judge approved his interim bail till June 27. Fol-lowing the decision, Mr Umar submitted fresh surety bonds to get the bail.
The Gulberg police station had registered a case against him and PTIworkers for damaging public and private properties, including Askari Tower, during the May 9 protests.
Meanwhile, A district and sessions court on Tuesday approved PTI vice president Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s bail till June 19 in a May 9 case. Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the May 9 vandalism case lodged at Tarnol police station. Mr Qureshi attended the hearing in-person. The judge inquired Mr Qureshi’s lawyer Ali Bukhari where he was on June 12. Mr Bukhari replied that he was busy in the Chief Commissioner’s office.
Judge Spira remarked that no lawyer appeared before the court for PTI chief’s bail plea and he reject-ed his bail plea. “The court has fixed pleas of others accused on June 19 too,” he remarked. –Agencies
