The Sindh High Court granted protective bail to five Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf MPAs in two terrorism and arson-related cases.MPAs Arsalan Taj Ghuman, Mohammad Ali Aziz, Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Khurrum Sher Zaman and Jamaluddin Siddiqui were nominated in two terrorism and arson-related cases by the Ferozabad and Solider Bazar police during PTI protest demonstrations in the city on May 25.
Police alleged that the PTI lawmakers and activists gathered in the old Numaish area, conducted an unlawful assembly, blocked the road and pelted stones at the police deployed in the area.Police alleged that due to the act of the accused, extreme fear and terror spread in the area and the PTI lawmakers and activists were booked in the cases.
The applicants’ counsel submitted that police had with a mala fide intention implicated the applicants due to political rivalry with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. They submitted that the applicants being law-abiding citizens were ready to appear before the trial court; however, apprehending their imminent arrest and humiliation at the hands of the local police, they approached the court to seek legal shelter.The court was informed that one of the applicants, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, had already appeared before the trial court and obtained protective bail.
They requested the court to grant them protective bail to enable them to appear before the trial court.A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, after the preliminary hearing of the applications, granted protective bail to the applicants with a surety of Rs30,000 each.
