An Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has granted interim bail to Salman Akram Raja, the Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and legal counsel for the party, in connection with multiple cases related to protests and rioting. The court approved his bail until October 16, against personal surety bonds of Rs 200,000.
Raja filed for interim bail in three separate cases registered at the Islam Pura, Lari Adda, and Masti Gate police stations, where he and several other PTI leaders have been named in the First Information Reports (FIRs).
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In a related matter, a two-member bench of the Lahore High Court, led by Justice Shahbaz Rizvi, granted protective bail to Raja in a terrorism case filed against him in Islamabad, valid until October 15, 2024. This case has been registered at the Secretariat police station in Islamabad.
The legal actions against PTI leaders have escalated following recent protests at D-Chowk. A case of sedition and terrorism has also been filed against PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and several senior party leaders in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Notable figures named in the FIR include Hammad Azhar, Ghulam Mohiuddin, and Shehbaz, among others. The FIR alleges that Imran Khan was granted “extraordinary privileges” while in prison, enabling him to communicate with party leaders, which led to protests where anti-state slogans were raised and vandalism occurred.
In the chaos, one PTI worker reportedly injured a police constable, and 16 individuals were arrested on-site. Furthermore, additional cases have been filed against PTI workers for violating Section 144, as protests were prohibited under emergency laws in effect at the time.
