Islamabad Court Grants Bail to PTI Workers

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has granted bail to 153 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. These workers were arrested during a protest crackdown at D-Chowk on November 26. The hearing was led by Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain, who reviewed the petitions of 177 PTI workers. While 153 were granted bail, 24 had their pleas rejected.

Details of the Bail Hearing

The PTI workers were represented by lawyers Ansar Kayani, Sardar Masroof Khan, Mirza Aslam Baig, Fataullah Burki, and Murtaza Turi. The court granted bail to 43 out of 48 workers from the Karachi Company Police Station, while five were denied. At the Tarnol Police Station, two out of seven workers received bail. Nine out of ten workers from the I-9 Police Station were granted bail. At the Kohsar Police Station, 28 workers were bailed, with five applications rejected. All 25 workers from the Secretariat Police Station were granted bail. At the Margalla Police Station, 42 out of 45 workers received bail.

Background of the Arrests

On November 13, PTI leader Imran Khan called for nationwide protests demanding the restoration of PTI's electoral mandate and the release of party members. The protests led to a crackdown, resulting in over 1,400 arrests by Islamabad and Rawalpindi police. Amnesty International has urged a transparent investigation into the state's actions during the crackdown.