Court rejects PTI activist’s bail appeals, Qureshi’s plea put off until March 13

• Islamabad sessions court dismisses bail appeals of Haider Saeed in two controversial tweet cases

• ATC Lahore adjourns post-arrest bail hearing of PTI Vice Chairman Qureshi until March 13 in May 9 arson and vandalism cases

• ATC grants post-arrest bail to 10 TLP workers involved in alleged arson and attacks on police

 ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Friday rejected the bail appeals filed by PTI social media activist Haider Saeed in two cases linked to controversial tweets, while an anti-terrorism court in Lahore adjourned the post-arrest bail petition of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi until March 13.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the appeals of Haider Saeed and announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides, dismissing the petitions.

The court upheld the earlier decision of a judicial magistrate that had refused to grant bail to the accused.

During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the tweets posted by Haider Saeed did not contain any content capable of creating unrest, adding that the cases had been registered on political grounds.

The defence further told the court that Saeed’s mobile phone and other digital devices were already in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). They argued that since authorities already had access to the devices, there was no justification for keeping him in custody.

The prosecution opposed the bail requests and urged the court to maintain the earlier decision, arguing that the accused had used social media to call for blocking dams and highways.

Prosecutors further contended that digital terrorism does not involve weapons but statements capable of causing disruption, adding that the cases against Haider Saeed had been registered by the NCCIA over controversial tweets.

ATC adjourns hearing of SMQ’s bail pleas in May 9 cases

In a related development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday adjourned the hearing of the post-arrest bail petition filed by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in two cases linked to the May 9 arson and vandalism incidents until March 13.

ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill heard the bail petition of the PTI leader.

During the proceedings, DSP Legal Asif Javed presented the case record before the court. However, the senior counsel for Qureshi did not appear to advance further arguments on the petition. His assisting lawyer appeared and sought additional time to present arguments.

Accepting the request, Judge Gill adjourned the hearing until March 13 and directed the counsel to complete arguments at the next hearing.

Qureshi has filed the bail petition from jail in cases relating to the alleged burning of police vehicles near Mughalpura and close to Jinnah House during the May 9 unrest.

The former foreign minister has already been acquitted in five cases registered over the May 9 incidents.

ATC grants post-arrest bail to 10 TLP workers

Meanwhile, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday granted post-arrest bail to 10 workers of proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in cases pertaining to arson, vandalism and alleged attacks on police.

ATC Judge Arshad Javed heard bail petitions filed by 15 TLP workers who had approached the court seeking relief.

After hearing arguments from the defence lawyers, the court granted bail to 10 accused against surety bonds worth Rs100,000 each.

Those granted bail include Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Sharafat, Muhammad Irfan, Zahid Iqbal, Faizan Ali and Faiz Rasool, among others.

The court, however, sought further arguments regarding the bail applications of Khalid Zubair, Muhammad Owais, Nazim Ali and other co-accused, and adjourned the hearing until March 16.

According to the prosecution, sticks and batons were recovered from the accused, who were allegedly involved in violence against police and acts of arson.

A case against the suspects was registered at Badami Bagh Police Station for their alleged involvement in arson and vandalism.