PTI Leaders, Including Omar Ayub and Raja Basharat, Released by Anti-Terrorism Court

Rawalpindi: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi ordered the release of five Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former federal minister Omar Ayub and former provincial law minister Raja Basharat, who were arrested outside Adiala Jail on Wednesday.
The court deemed their arrests illegal and issued contempt of court notices to five police officers, reprimanding them for the arrests despite the accused having interim bail.
Omar Ayub, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Basharat, former provincial law minister, and National Assembly member Ahmed Chatha were among those arrested. During the hearing, PTI’s legal team, led by Babar Awan, argued that their arrests were unlawful as they had already obtained bail from the Peshawar High Court.
The ATC judge, Amjad Ali Shah, expressed strong disapproval of the arrests, stating that despite the bail granted by the Peshawar High Court, the accused were detained unlawfully.
The court instructed the release of Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, Raja Majid, Ahmed Chatha, and Malik Azeem, and declared their detention illegal. It also issued contempt notices to the officers involved, including Nabeel Khokhar, the President of the Outer Circle, and SHO Azaz Azeem.
Additionally, the court ordered that no arrests should be made within 500 yards of the Adiala Jail in future.
The PTI leaders were arrested after being charged in connection with the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) case. However, despite their interim bail, the police detained them for several hours, leading to the legal challenge.
Statements from PTI Leaders:
Speaking to the media outside the court, Raja Basharat stated that they were illegally detained for over four and a half hours despite having valid bail orders from the Peshawar High Court. He added that the court had declared their arrest illegal, as the Adiala Jail area is officially designated as a court area.
Omar Ayub, in his remarks, emphasized that the police had detained him unlawfully and had no valid legal reason for his arrest. He held several government officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Punjab IGP Mohsin Naqvi, responsible for the incident.
Babar Awan’s Statement:
Babar Awan, PTI’s lawyer, criticized the Punjab police, calling their actions part of a larger “war” against the people of Pakistan. He emphasized the importance of respecting the courts and maintaining peace in the country. Awan further stated that the founder of PTI, Imran Khan, would not be sidelined, as he remained a key figure in the hearts of the people.
Legal Experts’ View:
Advocate Mohammad Faisal Malik also condemned the arrests, calling them part of a series of underhanded tactics by the police. He stated that despite having no charges against them, the PTI leaders were arrested after a full day of legal proceedings, describing the actions as unlawful and unconstitutional.
The case has raised significant concerns over the legality of the actions taken by the police and the role of the judiciary in upholding the law.