PHC extends protective bails of 11 PTI’s leaders

Humayun Khan

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has extended the protective bail of 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including Members National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Iqbal Afridi, Shreyar Afridi, Shahram Tarakai, Dawar Kundi and provincial ministers Faisal Khan Tarakai along with Suhail Afridi, on Tuesday.

PHC’s divisional bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, heard the petitions filed by the PTI leaders seeking protective bail in cases registered against them in various police stations in Punjab and Islamabad.

The counsel Alam Khan Adenzai and Mozzam Butt advocates informed the court that the petitioners wanted to appear before the relevant courts to respond to the charges leveled against them. They requested the court to direct the authorities to provide details of the cases registered against their clients.

Deputy Attorney General Sana Ullah and Dawlat Khan appeared on behalf of the federal government. The Deputy Attorney General informed the court that Asad Qaiser was already provided with a report on the cases registered against him, and that the court had already dismissed a similar petition earlier.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that the current petition was filed after November 24, and that they were seeking details of cases registered against their clients after that date.

Deputy Attorney General informed the court that Asad Qaiser was facing one FIR, while Sheryar Afridi’s case was still pending and no report had been received yet. He also informed the court that Faisal Khan Tarakai was facing one FIR in Islamabad.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the court that NAB did not have any inquiry pending against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Faisal Khan Tarakai. The counsel for the petitioners requested the court to direct the authorities to provide a report from the provincial Anti-Corruption Department.

In the meanwhile. Justice Syed Arshad Ali remarked that since the petitioners’ party was in power, they should obtain the report from the Anti-Corruption Department themselves.

The court extended the protective bail of Asad Qaiser, Sheryar Afridi, Shahram Tarakai, Faisal Khan Tarakai, Dawar Kundi, Aftab Alam, Suhail Afridi, Nadia Khattak, Malak Shahab advocate and Iqbal Afridi, and directed the authorities to provide details of the cases registered against them. The court adjourned the hearing of the case.