RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday sought details from the administration of the Adiala Jail, enquiring about it denying PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters not being allowed to meet him.
A petition was filed in court by his sisters Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan. The superintendent of Adiala Jail was made a respondent in the petition.
The court issued a notice based on the application and sought a response from the jail authorities within two hours as to why the sisters were denied meeting Imran.
Talking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Aleema said her brother still had “one last card to play”, adding that he would neither tell anyone about it nor let it be known for now. “It will not be used right,” she said.
A day ago, top PTI leaders had met Imran at the Adiala Jail for the first time since the party called its “final call” protest in Islamabad last week. The call was made to demand the restoration of the PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th Amendment which he said had strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
The protests ended in clashes between PTI supporters and law enforcement authorities after the former entered the capital’s Red Zone. At least six lives were lost in the three days of protests, which included a policeman and three Rangers officials who were knocked down by a speeding vehicle, officials and hospital sources said. Claims and counter-claims over deaths purportedly caused by law-enforcement action against the PTI marchers remain a major bone of contention between the government and the opposition party.
According to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Imran was “not aware of the developments during the protest as he didn’t have access to newspapers and television.”
Omar Ayub granted bail in D-Chowk protest case
Separately, the Islamabad ATC granted Leader of the Opposition in the National Ayub Omar Ayub Khan bail set at Rs55,000 in the D-Chowk protest case.
The court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Ayub along with Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and 92 others for the “violent protests”.
Numerous party workers were arrested in the ensuing crackdown and multiple cases were filed after the protest.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over today’s hearing and called on Ayub in case number 540.
The PTI leader was presented before the court with his lawyer Babar Awan.
The court said that the arrest warrant would be terminated once the bail was granted for Rs 50,000.
Awan requested the court to reduce the bond amount to Rs25,000. However, Judge Supra said Rs55,000 should be deposited.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case till Dec 10 and directed an investigation into Ayub.
PTI’s Marwat granted bail in seven cases
The Islamabad ATC also granted bail to PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat in seven cases for a bond of Rs5,000.
The other cases were registered at the Secretariat, Kohsar, Ramna, Tarnool, and Karachi Company police stations.
Marwat and his lawyer Ali Azad sought bail from the court which Judge Sipra granted. The court summoned the police along with records on Dec 10.
