An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted post-arrest bail to 56 PTI workers in cases related to the November 26 protest at D-Chowk, while a judicial magistrate’s court issued arrest warrants for PTI leaders Omar Ayub and others in a separate case.
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain approved the bail after hearing arguments from both sides. The cases against the PTI workers had been registered at Tarnol and Kohsar police stations.
Arrest Warrants Issued
A judicial magistrate’s court issued arrest warrants for PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Aamir Dogar, and Aamir Mughal due to their repeated failure to appear in a case related to the violation of Section 144.
During the hearing, the court accepted exemption requests from personal appearance submitted by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Shoaib Shaheen. Barrister Gohar formally filed for exemption, which was granted by the court.
However, arguments on the acquittal applications of the accused could not be presented, leading to the adjournment of proceedings until April 23. The case is linked to two FIRs registered against Barrister Gohar and others at the I-9 police station.
IHC Orders Removal of Umar Sultan’s Name from Travel Ban List
In a related development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the removal of Umar Sultan, the former security in-charge of ex-premier Imran Khan, from the Passport Control List (PCL), declaring his inclusion in the travel ban as “unjustified and illegal.”
Justice Muhammad Asif issued a written ruling approving Sultan’s petition, noting that there was no record of federal government approval for his name being placed on the list. The court found that his inclusion in the PCL violated his fundamental constitutional rights.
According to a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report, Umar Sultan’s name was active in both the PCL and Exit Control List (ECL) based on a recommendation from the Additional Inspector General due to multiple FIRs against him. His name was officially added to the travel ban list on August 24, 2023.
However, the court highlighted that the ATC had already granted Sultan bail on April 18, 2024. As a result, the IHC ruled that his placement on the travel ban list was unlawful and ordered authorities to remove his name immediately.
