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In a recent decision, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday granted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan pre-arrest bail for 15 days in the 14 cases registered against him.
The decision came straight after the party's chairman ended his 'Azadi March' on May 25. Imran and other leaders of his party were booked in 14 cases registered at multiple police stations across Islamabad over allegations of vandalism in the capital, reported Dawn. Imran Khan's counsel Babar Awan filed the petition in the court which was heard by PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan. The judge granted the PTI leader bail till June 25 and subsequently forwarded the orders to the additional sessions judge of Islamabad. Calling the Azadi March a peaceful demonstration, the ousted leader called on the present government for the excessive use of force, usage of chemical shells of tear gas, baton charge, firing, shelling, rubber bullets and shotguns which "tore apart" the fundamental rights of people. "The present illegitimate and imported government used unreasonable and unlawful tactics along with state machinery against the peaceful empty-handed protesters throughout the city," he added, following which the Supreme Court instructed the authorities to immediately release all the party members who were arrested. According to Dawn, a first information report (FIR) was registered on May 26 at the complaint of Sub-Inspector (SI) Asif Raza under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code against ousted leader Imran Khan. SI Raza, in the FIR, said the police tried to stop the PTI supporters due to the imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad but they did not listen and instead allegedly pelted stones at the police officers and also set fire to trees, the report stated further. Raza said 36 individuals, who were acting at the "behest of Imran and other PTI leadership", were "brought under control". The second FIR was registered on the complaint of SI Ghulam Sarwar under the same sections as the prior FIR. Sarwar claimed that the PTI workers resorted to pelting stones and also damaged a government bus. He added that 39 individuals were subsequently arrested. Meanwhile, on the May 28, a Dawn report revealed that 11 more cases were registered against the PTI leadership, including Imran, and other PTI activists under different sections of the PPC by the Loi Bher, Secretariat police, Aabapra police, Golra police, Bhara Kahu police, Tarnol police, and Koral police among others. Imran Khan's march for "haqeeqi azadi" -- true freedom -- was preceded by the authorities invoking Section 144, a measure used to curb gatherings, however, the marchers tried to force through the containers to make their way to Islamabad, were met with tear gas as police tried to disperse them. Police also charged them with batons. The Shehbaz government claimed that the PTI supporters had set the fires whereas the claim from the PTI was that the fires were a result of police shelling, resulting in a blame game between the previous and the former governments. (ANI)
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