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The Islamabad High Court has ordered the immediate release of more than 120 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who were arrested after the November 26 protest, The Express Tribune reported.
A two-judge bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, on Thursday approved the bail of the detainees. The court asked them to submit an affidavit at their respective police stations, vowing to not engage in similar actions in the future. Lawyers Ali Bukhari, Babar Awan and Murtaza Tori appeared before the court. The bail was set at Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 20,000, requiring each person to submit one surety. The PTI workers who have been granted bail were arrested in connection with protests that took place on November 26, 2024, which led to government crackdown. Earlier in January, mercy petitions submitted by 19 persons convicted for their involvement in protests that happened on May 9 were approved, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement. The ISPR said, "Sequel to the promulgation of punishments to May 9 Tragedy convicts, they have exercised their right to appeal and have asked for mercy / remission in their punishments." According to ISPR statement, 67 convicts had submitted mercy petitions, with 48 of these petitions processed to Courts of Appeal. The ISPR further said that the petitions of 19 convicts was accepted "purely on humanitarian grounds, in accordance with law," The Express Tribune reported. The Pakistan military's media wing said, "They all shall be released after completion of procedural formalities." According to the press release, the decision on mercy petitions of the remaining convicts will be taken in due course, following the legal process. The ISPR said that all those convicted retain their right to appeal and pursue other legal remedies according to the law and constitution. The ISPR said, "The remission of punishments is a testament to the strength of the due process and fairness, which ensures that justice is served while also taking into account the principles of compassion and mercy." The punishment of individuals whose conviction has been remitted are: Muhammad Ayaz, Sami Ullah, Laeeq Ahmed, Amjad Ali, Yasir Nawaz, Hamza Sharif, Muhammad Suleman, Said Alam, Asher Butt, Muhammad Waqas, Sufayan Idrees, Muneeb Ahmed, Zahid Khan, Muhammad Salman, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Bilawal and Muhammad Ilyas. In December last year, military courts sentenced 60 more civilians to prison terms for their roles in violent attacks on military installations during the protests held on May 9, 2023. Protests erupted in Pakistan on May 9, 2023 following PTI founder Imran Khan's arrest, The Express Tribune reported. The military courts announced sentences just days after the ISPR announced that 25 civilians had been given prison terms for their involvement in the same events, as per the report. According to ISPR statement, these people have been convicted for their involvement in violent attacks on key military and government facilities, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore, the ISI office in Faisalabad and Bannu Cantt, the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, among others. (ANI)
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