Lahore: The Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has reserved its verdict on the pre-arrest bail applications of 29 suspects in the Jinnah House attack and arson case. Judge Khalid Arshad, presiding over the case, announced that a decision on the bail applications would be made later.
The accused include Ali Imtiaz, Naeem Abbas, Ashraf Khan, Mohammad Javed, Imtiaz Mahmood, Ali Asghar, Naheed Malik, Hamad Ali, Mohammad Aslam, Hameera Bibi, Zulqarnain, Abdul Wahab, Habib Rahman, Usman Qadri, Hussnain Ali, Ishtiaq Khan, Usman Farooq, Wali Khan, Arooj Fatima, Shahrooz, Zohaib Jabar, and Bilal Haseeb, among others.
The court has extended the interim bails of 25 suspects, including Zain Qureshi, Asad Umar, Farhat Abbas, Aleema Khan, and Azma Khan, until September 3. During the hearing, the court questioned the investigating officer about the evidence available against the suspects, emphasizing the need for substantial proof before further action could be taken. The judge remarked that without concrete evidence, no arrests would be made.
Defense attorney Babar Awan, representing Umar Ayub, expressed frustration at the repeated hearings, likening the process to begging for a favor. Aleema Khan also raised concerns about the absence of the investigating officer, suggesting that penalties should be imposed for non-compliance.
Judge Khalid Arshad noted that it was inappropriate for the investigating officer to fail to present evidence, and indicated that if no evidence was provided, the bail could not be denied. The case is registered at the Sarwar Road Police Station.