LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: In Lahore, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted the request for Khadija Shah’s custody, approving the move to place her under the Balochistan police custody in the Quetta case.
ATC Judge Abhar Gul Khan delivered the verdict sending Khadija Shah to the Balochistan police custody regarding the Quetta case, responding to the plea from the investigation team who sought her in connection to the case.
Last month, Khadija Shah, a supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), challenged her 30-day detention in the Lahore High Court.
In her petition, she named several respondents including the provincial government, Lahore DC, provincial police chief, and superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail, asserting that the charges against her by law enforcement were unfounded.
Earlier, the Lahore administration had ordered Khadija Shah’s detention for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance. The order came after an ATC granted her post-arrest bail in a case related to May 9 riots.
The decision for her detention was recommended by SP Cantt Division Lahore and the district intelligence branch under the 3-MPO regulation for a period of 30 days.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi get bail
Meanwhile, in a significant legal development, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cases related to protest and vandalism.
The decision, delivered by Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, marks a notable shift from the court’s earlier stance when it rejected their pre-arrest bail applications on August 11.
The recent court proceedings witnessed the prosecutor arguing that the protests orchestrated by Khan and Qureshi were deliberate and staged, emphasizing that granting bail would constitute “extraordinary relief.”
Seeking the outright dismissal of the bail applications, the prosecutor underscored the orchestrated nature of the protests, implying premeditation.
During the proceedings, the judge questioned whether both suspects were physically present at the scene of the protest. The prosecutor confirmed their absence, but the court observed that bail had been previously granted to other co-suspects implicated in the cases.
Subsequently, Judge Zulqarnain approved bail for both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in all five cases, with each accused required to post a bail bond of Rs30,000.
